In this note, we explore the relation between crossing symmetry and modular invariance in conformal field theory and S-duality in gauge theory. It is shown that partition functions of different S dual theories of N=2 SU(2) gauge theory with four fundamentals can be derived from the crossing symmetry of the Liouville four point function. We also show that the partition function of N=4 SU(2) gauge theory can be derived from the Liouville partition function on torus.
In (1+1)-d CFTs, the 4-point function on the plane can be mapped to the pillow geometry and thereby crossing symmetry gets translated into a modular property. We use these modular features to derive a universal asymptotic formula for OPE coefficients in which one of the operators is averaged over heavy primaries. The coarse-grained heavy channel then reproduces features of the gravitational 2-to-2 S-matrix which has black holes as their intermediate states.
We consider the construction of genus zero correlators of $SU(N)_k$ WZW models involving two Kac Moody primaries in the fundamental and two in the anti-fundamental representation from modular averaging of the contribution of the vacuum conformal block. In cases where we find the orbit of the vacuum conformal block to be finite, modular averaging reproduces the exact result for the correlators. In other cases, we perform the modular averaging numerically, the results are in agreement with the exact answers. We find a close relationship between the modular averaging sums of the theories related …
Using the technology of harmonic analysis, we derive a crossing equation that acts only on the scalar primary operators of any two-dimensional conformal field theory with $U(1)^c$ symmetry. From this crossing equation, we derive bounds on the scalar gap of all such theories. Rather remarkably, our crossing equation contains information about all nontrivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function. As a result, we rephrase the Riemann hypothesis purely as a statement about the asymptotic density of scalar operators in certain two-dimensional conformal field theories. We discuss generalizations to the…
Crossing probabilities for critical 2-D percolation on large but finite lattices have been derived via boundary conformal field theory. These predictions agree very well with numerical results. However, their derivation is heuristic and there is evidence of additional symmetries in the problem. This contribution gives a preliminary examination some unusual modular behavior of these quantities. In particular, the derivatives of the "horizontal" and "horizontal-vertical" crossing probabilities transform as a vector modular form, one component of which is an ordinary modular form and the other th…
We examine crossing probabilities and free energies for conformally invariant critical 2-D systems in rectangular geometries, derived via conformal field theory and Stochastic Löwner Evolution methods. These quantities are shown to exhibit interesting modular behavior, although the physical meaning of modular transformations in this context is not clear. We show that in many cases these functions are completely characterized by very simple transformation properties. In particular, Cardy's function for the percolation crossing probability (including the conformal dimension 1/3), follows from a …
We determine the generating functions of 1/4 BPS dyons in a class of 4d $\mathcal{N}=4$ string vacua arising as CHL orbifolds of $K3 \times T^2$, a classification of which has been recently completed. We show that all such generating functions obey some simple physical consistency conditions that are very often sufficient to fix them uniquely. The main constraint we impose is the absence of unphysical walls of marginal stability: discontinuities of 1/4 BPS degeneracies can only occur when 1/4 BPS dyons decay into pairs of 1/2 BPS states. Formally, these generating functions in spacetime can be…
We show that the meromorphic Jacobi form that counts the quarter-BPS states in N=4 string theories can be canonically decomposed as a sum of a mock Jacobi form and an Appell-Lerch sum. The quantum degeneracies of single-centered black holes are Fourier coefficients of this mock Jacobi form, while the Appell-Lerch sum captures the degeneracies of multi-centered black holes which decay upon wall-crossing. The completion of the mock Jacobi form restores the modular symmetries expected from $AdS_3/CFT_2$ holography but has a holomorphic anomaly reflecting the non-compactness of the microscopic CFT…
We construct modular linear differential equations (MLDEs) w.r.t. subgroups of the modular group whose solutions are Virasoro conformal blocks appearing in the expansion of a crossing symmetric 4-point correlator on the sphere. This uses a connection between crossing transformations and modular transformations. We focus specifically on second order MLDEs with the cases of all identical and pairwise identical operators in the correlator. The central charge, the dimensions of the above operators and those of the intermediate ones are expressed in terms of parameters that occur in such MLDEs. In …
We demonstrate that Appell-Lerch sums with higher order poles as well as their modular covariant completions arise as partition functions in the cigar conformal field theory with worldsheet supersymmetry. The modular covariant derivatives of the elliptic genus of the cigar give rise to operator insertions corresponding to (powers of) right-moving momentum, left-moving fermion number, as well as a term corresponding to an ordinary zero mode partition sum. To show this, we demonstrate how the right-moving supersymmetric quantum mechanics (and in particular the Hamiltonian and spectral density) d…
We study the Virasoro conformal block decomposition of the genus two partition function of a two-dimensional CFT by expanding around a Z3-invariant Riemann surface that is a three-fold cover of the Riemann sphere branched at four points, and explore constraints from genus two modular invariance and unitarity. In particular, we find 'critical surfaces' that constrain the structure constants of a CFT beyond what is accessible via the crossing equation on the sphere.
We obtain an asymptotic formula for the average value of the operator product expansion coefficients of any unitary, compact two dimensional CFT with $c>1$. This formula is valid when one or more of the operators has large dimension or -- in the presence of a twist gap -- has large spin. Our formula is universal in the sense that it depends only on the central charge and not on any other details of the theory. This result unifies all previous asymptotic formulas for CFT$_2$ structure constants, including those derived from crossing symmetry of four point functions, modular covariance of torus …
We construct interpolating functions fully compatible with S-duality. We then consider the problem of resumming perturbative expansions for anomalous dimensions of low twist non-protected operators in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. When the rank of the gauge group is small, the interpolations suggest that anomalous dimensions of leading twist operators take their maximum value at the point $τ=\exp(iπ/3)$. For fixed spin and large enough rank, there is a level-crossing region, where the anomalous dimension of the leading twist operator reaches its maximum and then bounces back.
We present a low entry-level introduction to the Conformal Bootstrap. We review and obtain several basic bounds using Linear Programming in machine precision in Mathematica, making the results accessible even to the most uneducated computer user. The Extremal Functional Method and the method of determinants are also explored. Finally, we make an attempt at writing modular invariance statements as crossing symmetry equations for twist operators and perform Modular Bootstrap using 4-pt correlators.
Genus two partition functions of 2d chiral conformal field theories are given by Siegel modular forms. We compute their conformal blocks and use them to perform the conformal bootstrap. The advantage of this approach is that it imposes crossing symmetry of an infinite family of four point functions and also modular invariance at the same time. Since for a fixed central charge the ring of Siegel modular forms is finite dimensional, we can perform this analytically. In this way we derive bounds on three point functions and on the spectrum of such theories.
We investigate the constraints of crossing symmetry on CFT correlation functions. Four point conformal blocks are naturally viewed as functions on the upper-half plane, on which crossing symmetry acts by PSL(2,Z) modular transformations. This allows us to construct a unique, crossing symmetric function out of a given conformal block by averaging over PSL(2,Z). In some two dimensional CFTs the correlation functions are precisely equal to the modular average of the contributions of a finite number of light states. For example, in the two dimensional Ising and tri-critical Ising model CFTs, the c…
We extend the previously introduced constructive modular method to nonperturbative QFT. In particular the relevance of the concept of ``quantum localization'' (via intersection of algebras) versus classical locality (via support properties of test functions) is explained in detail, the wedge algebras are constructed rigorously and the formal aspects of double cone algebras for d=1+1 factorizing theories are determined. The well-known on-shell crossing symmetry of the S-Matrix and of formfactors (cyclicity relation) in such theories is intimately related to the KMS properties of new quantum-loc…
We explore the large spin spectrum in two-dimensional conformal field theories with a finite twist gap, using the modular bootstrap in the lightcone limit. By recursively solving the modular crossing equations associated to different $PSL(2,\mathbb{Z})$ elements, we identify the universal contribution to the density of large spin states from the vacuum in the dual channel. Our result takes the form of a sum over $PSL(2,\mathbb{Z})$ elements, whose leading term generalizes the usual Cardy formula to a wider regime. Rather curiously, the contribution to the density of states from the vacuum beco…
We study conformal twist field four-point functions on a $\mathbb Z_N$ orbifold. We examine in detail the case $N=3$ and analyze theories obtained by replicated $N$-times a minimal model with central charge $c<1$. A fastly convergent expansion of the twist field correlation function in terms of sphere conformal blocks with central charge $Nc$ is obtained by exploiting covering map techniques. We discuss extensive applications of the formalism to the entanglement of two disjoint intervals in CFT, in particular we propose a conformal block expansion for the partially transposed reduced density m…
Liouville field theory on an unoriented surface is investigated, in particular, the one point function on a RP^2 is calculated. The constraint of the one point function is obtained by using the crossing symmetry of the two point function. There are many solutions of the constraint and we can choose one of them by considering the modular bootstrap.
The local logarithmic conformal field theory corresponding to the triplet algebra at c=-2 is constructed. The constraints of locality and crossing symmetry are explored in detail, and a consistent set of amplitudes is found. The spectrum of the corresponding theory is determined, and it is found to be modular invariant. This provides the first construction of a non-chiral rational logarithmic conformal field theory, establishing that such models can indeed define bona fide conformal field theories.
We consider compactifications of heterotic string theory to four dimensions on CHL orbifolds of the type T^6 /Z_N with 16 supersymmetries. The exact partition functions of the quarter-BPS dyons in these models are given in terms of genus-two Siegel modular forms. Only the N=1,2,3 models satisfy a certain finiteness condition, and in these cases one can identify a Borcherds-Kac-Moody superalgebra underlying the symmetry structure of the dyon spectrum. We identify the real roots, and find that the corresponding Cartan matrices exhaust a known classification. We show that the Siegel modular form …
We investigate second order conformal perturbation theory for $\mathbb{Z}_2$ orbifolds of conformal field theories in two dimensions. To evaluate the necessary twisted sector correlation functions and their integrals, we map them from the sphere to its torus double cover. We discuss how this relates crossing symmetry to the modular group, and introduce a regularization scheme on the cover that allows to evaluate the integrals numerically. These methods do not require supersymmetry. As an application, we show that in the torus orbifold of 8 and 16 free bosons, $\mathbb{Z}_2$ twist fields are ma…
The BPS-spectrum is known to change when moduli cross a wall of marginal stability. This paper tests the compatibility of wall-crossing with S-duality and electric-magnetic duality for N=2 supergravity. To this end, the BPS-spectrum of D4-D2-D0 branes is analyzed in the large volume limit of Calabi-Yau moduli space. Partition functions are presented, which capture the stability of BPS-states corresponding to two constituents with primitive charges and supported on very ample divisors in a compact Calabi-Yau. These functions are `mock modular invariant' and therefore confirm S-duality. Furtherm…
The crossing equations of a conformal field theory can be systematically truncated to a finite, closed system of polynomial equations. In certain cases, solutions of the truncated equations place strict bounds on the space of all unitary CFTs. We describe the conditions under which this holds, and use the results to develop a fast algorithm for modular bootstrap in 2d CFT. We then apply it to compute spectral gaps to very high precision, find scaling dimensions for over a thousand operators, and extend the numerical bootstrap to the regime of large central charge, relevant to holography. This …
We use modular invariance and crossing symmetry of conformal field theory to reveal approximate reflection symmetries in the spectral decompositions of the partition function in two dimensions in the limit of large central charge and of the four-point function in any dimension in the limit of large scaling dimensions $Δ_0$ of external operators. We use these symmetries to motivate universal upper bounds on the spectrum and the operator product expansion coefficients, which we then derive by independent techniques. Some of the bounds for four-point functions are valid for finite $Δ_0$ as well a…
We consider topological defect lines (TDLs) in two-dimensional conformal field theories. Generalizing and encompassing both global symmetries and Verlinde lines, TDLs together with their attached defect operators provide models of fusion categories without braiding. We study the crossing relations of TDLs, discuss their relation to the 't Hooft anomaly, and use them to constrain renormalization group flows to either conformal critical points or topological quantum field theories (TQFTs). We show that if certain non-invertible TDLs are preserved along a RG flow, then the vacuum cannot be a non-…
Recent progress about "modular localization" reveals that, as a result of the S-Matrix in its role of a "relative modular invariant of wedge-localization, one obtains a new non-perturbative constructive setting of local quantum physicis which only uses intrinsic (independent of quantization) properties. The main point is a derivation of the particle crossing property from the KMS identity of wedge-localized subalgebras in which the connection of incoming/outgoing particles with interacting fields is achieved by "emulation" of free wedge-localized fields within the wedge-localized interacting a…
Motivated by recent advances in Donaldson-Thomas theory, four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=4$ string-string duality is examined in a reduced rank theory on a less studied BPS sector. In particular we identify candidate partition functions of "untwisted" quarter-BPS dyons in the heterotic $\mathbb{Z}_2$ CHL model by studying the associated chiral genus two partition function, based on the M-theory lift of string webs argument by Dabholkar and Gaiotto. This yields meromorphic Siegel modular forms for the Iwahori subgroup $B(2) \subset \text{Sp}_4 (\mathbb{Z}) $ which generate BPS indices for dyons w…
The recent construction of integrable quantum field theories on two-dimensional Minkowski space by operator-algebraic methods is extended to models with a richer particle spectrum, including finitely many massive particle species transforming under a global gauge group. Starting from a two-particle S-matrix satisfying the usual requirements (unitarity, Yang-Baxter equation, Poincaré and gauge invariance, crossing symmetry, ...), a pair of relatively wedge-local quantum fields is constructed which determines the field net of the model. Although the verification of the modular nuclearity conditi…
We construct a (1+1)$d$ topological field theory (TFT) whose topological defect lines (TDLs) realize the transparent Haagerup $\mathcal{H}_3$ fusion category. This TFT has six vacua, and each of the three non-invertible simple TDLs hosts three defect operators, giving rise to a total of 15 point-like operators. The TFT data, including the three-point coefficients and lasso diagrams, are determined by solving all the sphere four-point crossing equations and torus one-point modular invariance equations. We further verify that the Cardy states furnish a non-negative integer matrix representation …
The enumeration of BPS bound states in string theory needs refinement. Studying partition functions of particles made from D-branes wrapped on algebraic Calabi-Yau 3-folds, and classifying states using split attractor flow trees, we extend the method for computing a refined BPS index, arXiv:0810.4301. For certain D-particles, a finite number of microstates, namely polar states, exclusively realized as bound states, determine an entire partition function (elliptic genus). This underlines their crucial importance: one might call them the `chromosomes' of a D-particle or a black hole. As polar st…
Exact Results in D=2 Supersymmetric Gauge Theories
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics（Perimeter理论物理研究所）；University of Waterloo（滑铁卢大学）；École Normale Supérieure, Paris（巴黎高等师范学院）；Cambridge University（剑桥大学）
