Conformal Field Theories, Graphs and Quantum Algebras

This article reviews some recent progress in our understanding of the structure of Rational Conformal Field Theories, based on ideas that originate for a large part in the work of A. Ocneanu. The consistency conditions that generalize modular invariance for a given RCFT in the presence of various types of boundary conditions --open, twisted-- are encoded in a system of integer multiplicities that form matrix representations of fusion-like algebras. These multiplicities are also the combinatorial data that enable one to construct an abstract ``quantum'' algebra, whose $6j$- and $3j$-symbols contain essential information on the Operator Product Algebra of the RCFT and are part of a cell system, subject to pentagonal identities. It looks quite plausible that the classification of a wide class of RCFT amounts to a classification of ``Weak $C^*$- Hopf algebras''.Comment: 23 pages, 12 figures, LateX. To appear in MATHPHYS ODYSSEY 2001 --Integrable Models and Beyond, ed. M. Kashiwara and T. Miwa, Progress in Math., Birkhauser. References and comments adde

Virasoro Singular Vectors via Quantum DS Reduction

The BRST quantisation of the Drinfeld - Sokolov reduction is exploited to recover all singular vectors of the Virasoro algebra Verma modules from the corresponding $A^{(1)}_1\,$ ones. The two types of singular vectors are shown to be identical modulo terms trivial in the $Q_{BRST}$ cohomology. The main tool is a quantum version of the DS gauge transformation.Comment: 7 pages, plain TeX, SISSA-74/93/E

On Structure Constants of sl(2)sl(2) Theories

Structure constants of minimal conformal theories are reconsidered. It is shown that {\it ratios} of structure constants of spin zero fields of a non-diagonal theory over the same evaluated in the diagonal theory are given by a simple expression in terms of the components of the eigenvectors of the adjacency matrix of the corresponding Dynkin diagram. This is proved by inspection, which leads us to carefully determine the {\it signs} of the structure constants that had not all appeared in the former works on the subject. We also present a proof relying on the consideration of lattice correlation functions and speculate on the extension of these identities to more complicated theories.Comment: 32 page

From CFT's to Graphs

In this paper, we pursue the discussion of the connections between rational conformal field theories (CFT) and graphs. We generalize our recent work on the relations of operator product algebra (OPA) structure constants of $sl(2)\,$ theories with the Pasquier algebra attached to the graph. We show that in a variety of CFT built on $sl(n)\,$ -- typically conformal embeddings and orbifolds, similar considerations enable one to write a linear system satisfied by the matrix elements of the Pasquier algebra in terms of conformal data -- quantum dimensions and fusion coefficients. In some cases, this provides a sufficient information for the determination of all the eigenvectors of an adjacency matrix, and hence of a graph.Comment: 44 pages, 6 postscript figures, the whole uuencoded. TEX file, macros used : harvmac.tex , epsf.tex. Optionally, AMS fonts in amssym.def and amssym.te

The fusion algebra of bimodule categories

We establish an algebra-isomorphism between the complexified Grothendieck ring F of certain bimodule categories over a modular tensor category and the endomorphism algebra of appropriate morphism spaces of those bimodule categories. This provides a purely categorical proof of a conjecture by Ostrik concerning the structure of F. As a by-product we obtain a concrete expression for the structure constants of the Grothendieck ring of the bimodule category in terms of endomorphisms of the tensor unit of the underlying modular tensor category.Comment: 16 page

Fusion rules for admissible representations of affine algebras: the case of A2(1)A_2^{(1)}

We derive the fusion rules for a basic series of admissible representations of $\hat{sl}(3)$ at fractional level $3/p-3$. The formulae admit an interpretation in terms of the affine Weyl group introduced by Kac and Wakimoto. It replaces the ordinary affine Weyl group in the analogous formula for the fusion rules multiplicities of integrable representations. Elements of the representation theory of a hidden finite dimensional graded algebra behind the admissible representations are briefly discussed.Comment: containing two TEX files: main file using input files harvmac.tex, amssym.def, amssym.tex, 19p.; file with figures using XY-pic package, 6p. Correction in the definition of general shifted weight diagra

Non-Rational 2D Quantum Gravity: I. World Sheet CFT

We address the problem of computing the tachyon correlation functions in Liouville gravity with generic (non-rational) matter central charge c<1. We consider two variants of the theory. The first is the conventional one in which the effective matter interaction is given by the two matter screening charges. In the second variant the interaction is defined by the Liouville dressings of the non-trivial vertex operator of zero dimension. This particular deformation, referred to as "diagonal'', is motivated by the comparison with the discrete approach, which is the subject of a subsequent paper. In both theories we determine the ground ring of ghost zero physical operators by computing its OPE action on the tachyons and derive recurrence relations for the tachyon bulk correlation functions. We find 3- and 4-point solutions to these functional equations for various matter spectra. In particular, we find a closed expression for the 4-point function of order operators in the diagonal theory.Comment: TEX-harvmac, revised version to appear in Nuclear Physics

The many faces of Ocneanu cells

We define generalised chiral vertex operators covariant under the Ocneanu ``double triangle algebra'' {\cal A}, a novel quantum symmetry intrinsic to a given rational 2-d conformal field theory. This provides a chiral approach, which, unlike the conventional one, makes explicit various algebraic structures encountered previously in the study of these theories and of the associated critical lattice models, and thus allows their unified treatment. The triangular Ocneanu cells, the 3j-symbols of the weak Hopf algebra {\cal A}, reappear in several guises. With {\cal A} and its dual algebra {hat A} one associates a pair of graphs, G and {\tilde G}. While G are known to encode complete sets of conformal boundary states, the Ocneanu graphs {\tilde G} classify twisted torus partition functions. The fusion algebra of the twist operators provides the data determining {\hat A}. The study of bulk field correlators in the presence of twists reveals that the Ocneanu graph quantum symmetry gives also an information on the field operator algebra.Comment: 57 pages, 10 figures. Several misprints and the derivation of eq. (7.38) correcte

Permutation Branes

N-fold tensor products of a rational CFT carry an action of the permutation group S_N. These automorphisms can be used as gluing conditions in the study of boundary conditions for tensor product theories. We present an ansatz for such permutation boundary states and check that it satisfies the cluster condition and Cardy's constraints. For a particularly simple case, we also investigate associativity of the boundary OPE, and find an intriguing connection with the bulk OPE. In the second part of the paper, the constructions are slightly extended for application to Gepner models. We give permutation branes for the quintic, together with some formulae for their intersections.Comment: 27 page

A1(1)A_1^{(1)} Admissible Representations -- Fusion Transformations and Local Correlators

We reconsider the earlier found solutions of the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov (KZ) equations describing correlators based on the admissible representations of $A_1^{(1)}$. Exploiting a symmetry of the KZ equations we show that the original infinite sums representing the 4-point chiral correlators can be effectively summed up. Using these simplified expressions with proper choices of the contours we determine the duality (braid and fusion) transformations and show that they are consistent with the fusion rules of Awata and Yamada. The requirement of locality leads to a 1-parameter family of monodromy (braid) invariants. These analogs of the ``diagonal'' 2-dimensional local 4-point functions in the minimal Virasoro theory contain in general non-diagonal terms. They correspond to pairs of fields of identical monodromy, having one and the same counterpart in the limit to the Virasoro minimal correlators.Comment: LaTex, 20 pages; misprints corrected, few small addition