498 research outputs found
Bott periodicity and stable quantum classes
We use Bott periodicity to relate previously defined quantum classes to
certain "exotic Chern classes" on . This provides an interesting
computational and theoretical framework for some Gromov-Witten invariants
connected with cohomological field theories. This framework has applications to
study of higher dimensional, Hamiltonian rigidity aspects of Hofer geometry of
, one of which we discuss here.Comment: prepublication versio
Schubert Polynomials for the affine Grassmannian of the symplectic group
We study the Schubert calculus of the affine Grassmannian Gr of the
symplectic group. The integral homology and cohomology rings of Gr are
identified with dual Hopf algebras of symmetric functions, defined in terms of
Schur's P and Q-functions. An explicit combinatorial description is obtained
for the Schubert basis of the cohomology of Gr, and this is extended to a
definition of the affine type C Stanley symmetric functions. A homology Pieri
rule is also given for the product of a special Schubert class with an
arbitrary one.Comment: 45 page
Gauged diffeomorphisms and hidden symmetries in Kaluza-Klein theories
We analyze the symmetries that are realized on the massive Kaluza-Klein modes
in generic D-dimensional backgrounds with three non-compact directions. For
this we construct the unbroken phase given by the decompactification limit, in
which the higher Kaluza-Klein modes are massless. The latter admits an
infinite-dimensional extension of the three-dimensional diffeomorphism group as
local symmetry and, moreover, a current algebra associated to SL(D-2,R)
together with the diffeomorphism algebra of the internal manifold as global
symmetries. It is shown that the `broken phase' can be reconstructed by gauging
a certain subgroup of the global symmetries. This deforms the three-dimensional
diffeomorphisms to a gauged version, and it is shown that they can be governed
by a Chern-Simons theory, which unifies the spin-2 modes with the Kaluza-Klein
vectors. This provides a reformulation of D-dimensional Einstein gravity, in
which the physical degrees of freedom are described by the scalars of a gauged
non-linear sigma model based on SL(D-2,R)/SO(D-2), while the metric appears in
a purely topological Chern-Simons form.Comment: 23 pages, minor changes, v3: published versio
Central extensions of groups of sections
If q : P -> M is a principal K-bundle over the compact manifold M, then any
invariant symmetric V-valued bilinear form on the Lie algebra k of K defines a
Lie algebra extension of the gauge algebra by a space of bundle-valued 1-forms
modulo exact forms. In the present paper we analyze the integrability of this
extension to a Lie group extension for non-connected, possibly
infinite-dimensional Lie groups K. If K has finitely many connected components
we give a complete characterization of the integrable extensions. Our results
on gauge groups are obtained by specialization of more general results on
extensions of Lie groups of smooth sections of Lie group bundles. In this more
general context we provide sufficient conditions for integrability in terms of
data related only to the group K.Comment: 54 pages, revised version, to appear in Ann. Glob. Anal. Geo
Block Toeplitz determinants, constrained KP and Gelfand-Dickey hierarchies
We propose a method for computing any Gelfand-Dickey tau function living in
Segal-Wilson Grassmannian as the asymptotics of block Toeplitz determinant
associated to a certain class of symbols. Also truncated block Toeplitz
determinants associated to the same symbols are shown to be tau function for
rational reductions of KP. Connection with Riemann-Hilbert problems is
investigated both from the point of view of integrable systems and block
Toeplitz operator theory. Examples of applications to algebro-geometric
solutions are given.Comment: 35 pages. Typos corrected, some changes in the introductio
Loop Groups, Kaluza-Klein Reduction and M-Theory
We show that the data of a principal G-bundle over a principal circle bundle
is equivalent to that of a \hat{LG} = U(1) |x LG bundle over the base of the
circle bundle. We apply this to the Kaluza-Klein reduction of M-theory to IIA
and show that certain generalized characteristic classes of the loop group
bundle encode the Bianchi identities of the antisymmetric tensor fields of IIA
supergravity. We further show that the low dimensional characteristic classes
of the central extension of the loop group encode the Bianchi identities of
massive IIA, thereby adding support to the conjectures of hep-th/0203218.Comment: 26 pages, LaTeX, utarticle.cls, v2:clarifications and refs adde
The Geroch group in the Ashtekar formulation
We study the Geroch group in the framework of the Ashtekar formulation. In
the case of the one-Killing-vector reduction, it turns out that the third
column of the Ashtekar connection is essentially the gradient of the Ernst
potential, which implies that the both quantities are based on the ``same''
complexification. In the two-Killing-vector reduction, we demonstrate Ehlers'
and Matzner-Misner's SL(2,R) symmetries, respectively, by constructing two sets
of canonical variables that realize either of the symmetries canonically, in
terms of the Ashtekar variables. The conserved charges associated with these
symmetries are explicitly obtained. We show that the gl(2,R) loop algebra
constructed previously in the loop representation is not the Lie algebra of the
Geroch group itself. We also point out that the recent argument on the
equivalence to a chiral model is based on a gauge-choice which cannot be
achieved generically.Comment: 40 pages, revte
Loop Operators and the Kondo Problem
We analyse the renormalisation group flow for D-branes in WZW models from the
point of view of the boundary states. To this end we consider loop operators
that perturb the boundary states away from their ultraviolet fixed points, and
show how to regularise and renormalise them consistently with the global
symmetries of the problem. We pay particular attention to the chiral operators
that only depend on left-moving currents, and which are attractors of the
renormalisation group flow. We check (to lowest non-trivial order in the
coupling constant) that at their stable infrared fixed points these operators
measure quantum monodromies, in agreement with previous semiclassical studies.
Our results help clarify the general relationship between boundary transfer
matrices and defect lines, which parallels the relation between
(non-commutative) fields on (a stack of) D-branes and their push-forwards to
the target-space bulk.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figure
Euler buckling in red blood cells: An optically driven biological micromotor
We investigate the physics of an optically-driven micromotor of biological
origin. A single, live red blood cell, when placed in an optical trap folds
into a rod-like shape. If the trapping laser beam is circularly polarized, the
folded RBC rotates. A model based on the concept of buckling instabilities
captures the folding phenomenon; the rotation of the cell is simply understood
using the Poincar\`e sphere. Our model predicts that (i) at a critical
intensity of the trapping beam the RBC shape undergoes large fluctuations and
(ii) the torque is proportional to the intensity of the laser beam. These
predictions have been tested experimentally. We suggest a possible mechanism
for emergence of birefringent properties in the RBC in the folded state
An Invitation to Higher Gauge Theory
In this easy introduction to higher gauge theory, we describe parallel
transport for particles and strings in terms of 2-connections on 2-bundles.
Just as ordinary gauge theory involves a gauge group, this generalization
involves a gauge '2-group'. We focus on 6 examples. First, every abelian Lie
group gives a Lie 2-group; the case of U(1) yields the theory of U(1) gerbes,
which play an important role in string theory and multisymplectic geometry.
Second, every group representation gives a Lie 2-group; the representation of
the Lorentz group on 4d Minkowski spacetime gives the Poincar\'e 2-group, which
leads to a spin foam model for Minkowski spacetime. Third, taking the adjoint
representation of any Lie group on its own Lie algebra gives a 'tangent
2-group', which serves as a gauge 2-group in 4d BF theory, which has
topological gravity as a special case. Fourth, every Lie group has an 'inner
automorphism 2-group', which serves as the gauge group in 4d BF theory with
cosmological constant term. Fifth, every Lie group has an 'automorphism
2-group', which plays an important role in the theory of nonabelian gerbes. And
sixth, every compact simple Lie group gives a 'string 2-group'. We also touch
upon higher structures such as the 'gravity 3-group' and the Lie 3-superalgebra
that governs 11-dimensional supergravity.Comment: 60 pages, based on lectures at the 2nd School and Workshop on Quantum
Gravity and Quantum Geometry at the 2009 Corfu Summer Institut
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