Fano symmetric varieties with low rank

The symmetric projective varieties of rank one are all smooth and Fano by a classic result of Akhiezer. We classify the locally factorial (respectively smooth) projective symmetric $G$-varieties of rank 2 which are Fano. When $G$ is semisimple we classify also the locally factorial (respectively smooth) projective symmetric $G$-varieties of rank 2 which are only quasi-Fano. Moreover, we classify the Fano symmetric $G$-varieties of rank 3 obtainable from a wonderful variety by a sequence of blow-ups along $G$-stable varieties. Finally, we classify the Fano symmetric varieties of arbitrary rank which are obtainable from a wonderful variety by a sequence of blow-ups along closed orbits.Comment: 31 page

Homotopy of posets, net-cohomology and superselection sectors in globally hyperbolic spacetimes

We study sharply localized sectors, known as sectors of DHR-type, of a net of local observables, in arbitrary globally hyperbolic spacetimes with dimension $\geq 3$. We show that these sectors define, has it happens in Minkowski space, a $\mathrm{C}^*-$category in which the charge structure manifests itself by the existence of a tensor product, a permutation symmetry and a conjugation. The mathematical framework is that of the net-cohomology of posets according to J.E. Roberts. The net of local observables is indexed by a poset formed by a basis for the topology of the spacetime ordered under inclusion. The category of sectors, is equivalent to the category of 1-cocycles of the poset with values in the net. We succeed to analyze the structure of this category because we show how topological properties of the spacetime are encoded in the poset used as index set: the first homotopy group of a poset is introduced and it is shown that the fundamental group of the poset and the one of the underlying spacetime are isomorphic; any 1-cocycle defines a unitary representation of these fundamental groups. Another important result is the invariance of the net-cohomology under a suitable change of index set of the net.Comment: 4 figures. To be published in Reviews in Mathematical Physic

Effective and big divisors on a projective symmetric variety

AbstractWe describe the effective and the big cones of a projective symmetric variety. Moreover, we give a necessary and sufficient combinatorial criterion for the bigness of a nef divisor on a projective symmetric variety. When the divisor is G-stable, such criterion has an explicit geometric interpretation. Finally, we describe the spherical closure of a symmetric subgroup

Representations of nets of C*-algebras over S^1

In recent times a new kind of representations has been used to describe superselection sectors of the observable net over a curved spacetime, taking into account of the effects of the fundamental group of the spacetime. Using this notion of representation, we prove that any net of C*-algebras over S^1 admits faithful representations, and when the net is covariant under Diff(S^1), it admits representations covariant under any amenable subgroup of Diff(S^1)

The K-homology of nets of C*-algebras

Let X be a space, intended as a possibly curved spacetime, and A a precosheaf of C*-algebras on X. Motivated by algebraic quantum field theory, we study the Kasparov and Theta-summable K-homology of A interpreting them in terms of the holonomy equivariant K-homology of the associated C*-dynamical system. This yields a characteristic class for K-homology cycles of A with values in the odd cohomology of X, that we interpret as a generalized statistical dimension.Comment: To appear in Journal of Geometry and Physic

A new light on nets of C*-algebras and their representations

The present paper deals with the question of representability of nets of C*-algebras whose underlying poset, indexing the net, is not upward directed. A particular class of nets, called C*-net bundles, is classified in terms of C*-dynamical systems having as group the fundamental group of the poset. Any net of C*-algebras embeds into a unique C*-net bundle, the enveloping net bundle, which generalizes the notion of universal C*-algebra given by Fredenhagen to nonsimply connected posets. This allows a classification of nets; in particular, we call injective those nets having a faithful embedding into the enveloping net bundle. Injectivity turns out to be equivalent to the existence of faithful representations. We further relate injectivity to a generalized Cech cocycle of the net, and this allows us to give examples of nets exhausting the above classification. Using the results of this paper we shall show, in a forthcoming paper, that any conformal net over S^1 is injective

Schwinger, Pegg and Barnett and a relationship between angular and Cartesian quantum descriptions

From a development of an original idea due to Schwinger, it is shown that it is possible to recover, from the quantum description of a degree of freedom characterized by a finite number of states (\QTR{it}{i.e}., without classical counterpart) the usual canonical variables of position/momentum \QTR{it}{and} angle/angular momentum, relating, maybe surprisingly, the first as a limit of the later.Comment: 7 pages, revised version, to appear on J. Phys. A: Math and Ge