Chiral fermion operators on the lattice

We only require generalized chiral symmetry and $\gamma_5$-hermiticity, which leads to a large class of Dirac operators describing massless fermions on the lattice, and use this framework to give an overview of developments in this field. Spectral representations turn out to be a powerful tool for obtaining detailed properties of the operators and a general construction of them. A basic unitary operator is seen to play a central r\^ole in this context. We discuss a number of special cases of the operators and elaborate on various aspects of index relations. We also show that our weaker conditions lead still properly to Weyl fermions and to chiral gauge theories.Comment: 25 pages, invited review article for Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Dirac operator normality and chiral fermions

Normality of the Dirac operator is shown to be necessary for chiral properties. From the global chiral Ward identity, which in the continuum limit gives the index theorem, a sum rule results which constrains the spectrum. The Ginsparg-Wilson relation is to be restricted to its simple form and is a member of a set of spectral constraints. A family of alternative chiral transformations is introduced. The one of L\"uscher is a special case which transports only the anomaly term to the measure. An alternative transformation would also be needed to correct Fujikawa's path-integral approach. From a general function of the hermitean Wilson-Dirac operator the one of Neuberger follows.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX, cjp.sty included, talk at CHIRAL '99, Taipei, Sep. 13-18, 199

Formulation of chiral gauge theories

We present a formulation of chiral gauge theories, which admits more general spectra of Dirac operators and reveals considerably more possibilities for the structure of the chiral projections. Our two forms of correlation functions both also apply in the presence of zero modes and for any value of the index. The decomposition of the total set of pairs of bases into equivalence classes is carefully analyzed. Transformation properties are derived.Comment: 3 pages, Lattice2004(chiral

General chiral gauge theories

Only requiring that Dirac operators decribing massless fermions on the lattice decompose into Weyl operators we arrive at a large class of them. After deriving general relations from spectral representations we study correlation functions of Weyl fermions for any value of the index, stressing the related conditions for basis transformations and getting the precise behaviors under gauge and CP transformations. Using the detailed structure of the chiral projections we also obtain a form of the correlation functions with a determinant in the general case.Comment: 3 pages, Lattice2003(chiral

Form and index of Ginsparg-Wilson fermions

We clarify the questions rised by a recent example of a lattice Dirac operator found by Chiu. We show that this operator belongs to a class based on the Cayley transformation and that this class on the finite lattice generally does not admit a nonvanishing index, while in the continuum limit, due to operator properties in Hilbert space, this defect is no longer there. Analogous observations are made for the chiral anomaly. We also elaborate on various aspects of the underlying sum rule for the index.Comment: 10 pages; v2: equation corrected, conclusions unchange