We review in detail the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism for Lagrangian field theories and its mathematical foundations with an emphasis on higher algebraic structures and classical field theories. In particular, we show how a field theory gives rise to an $L_\infty$-algebra and how quasi-isomorphisms between $L_\infty$-algebras correspond to classical equivalences of field theories. A few experts may be familiar with parts of our discussion, however, the material is presented from the perspective of a very general notion of a gauge theory. We also make a number of new observations and present some new results. Most importantly, we discuss in great detail higher (categorified) Chern-Simons theories and give some useful shortcuts in usually rather involved computations.
We express covariance of the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism in classical mechanics by means of the Maurer-Cartan equation in a curved Lie superalgebra, defined using the formal variational calculus and Sullivan's Thom-Whitney construction. We use this framework to construct a Batalin-Vilkovisky canonical transformation identifying the Batalin-Vilkovisky formulation of the spinning particle with an AKSZ field theory.
Lecture notes for the course "Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism and applications in topological quantum field theory" given at the University of Notre Dame in the Fall 2016 for a mathematical audience. In these lectures we give a slow introduction to the perturbative path integral for gauge theories in Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism and the associated mathematical concepts.
We prove that the differential graded Lie algebra of functionals associated to the Chern-Simons theory of a semisimple Lie algebra is homotopy abelian. For a general field theory, we show that the variational complex in the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism is a differential graded Lie algebra.
We have proved the nilpotency of the operators which describe the gauge dependence of the generating functionals of Green's functions for the gauge theories with the soft breaking of BRST symmetry in the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism.
We analyze the quantum ABJM theory on ${\cal N} = 1$ superspace in different gauges. We study the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) formulation for this model. By developing field/antifield dependent BRST transformation we establish connection between the two different solutions of the quantum master equation within the BV formulation.
We explain the effective renormalization method of quantum field theory in the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism and illustrate its mathematical applications by three geometric examples: (1) Topological quantum mechanics and algebraic index, (2) Elliptic curve and higher genus mirror symmetry, (3) Calabi-Yau geometry and integrable hierarchy. This note is an expansion of author's talk at ICCM 2016.
In this paper we recover the non-perturbative partition function of 2D~Yang-Mills theory from the perturbative path integral. To achieve this goal, we study the perturbative path integral quantization for 2D~Yang-Mills theory on surfaces with boundaries and corners in the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism (or, more precisely, in its adaptation to the setting with boundaries, compatible with gluing and cutting -- the BV-BFV formalism). We prove that cutting a surface (e.g. a closed one) into simple enough pieces -- building blocks -- and choosing a convenient gauge-fixing on the pieces, and assembli…
We develop the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism for classical field theory on generic globally hyperbolic spacetimes. A crucial aspect of our treatment is the incorporation of the principle of local covariance which amounts to formulate the theory without reference to a distinguished spacetime. In particular, this allows a homological construction of the Poisson algebra of observables in classical gravity. Our methods heavily rely on the differential geometry of configuration spaces of classical fields.
In the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism, gauge conditions are expressed as Lagrangian submanifolds in the space of fields and antifields. We discuss a way of patching together gauge conditions over different parts of the space of fields, and apply this method to extend the light-cone gauge for the superparticle to a conic neighbourhood of the forward light-cone in momentum space.
We study an equivariant extension of the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism for quantizing gauge theories. Namely, we introduce a general framework to encompass failures of the quantum master equation, and we apply it to the natural equivariant extension of AKSZ solutions of the classical master equation (CME). As examples of the construction, we recover the equivariant extension of supersymmetric Yang-Mills in 2d and of Donaldson-Witten theory.
We show that the axiom of Felder and Kazhdan on the vanishing of the cohomology groups in negative degree associated to solutions of the classical master equation in the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism is violated by the spinning particle in a flat background coupled to D=1 supergravity. In this model, there are nontrivial cohomology groups in all negative degrees, regardless of the dimension of the spacetime in which the spinning particle is propagating.
In the present paper, which is a mathematical follow--up of [16] taking inspiration from [11], we present an abstract formulation of exact renormalization group (RG) in the framework of Batalin--Vilkovisky (BV) algebra theory. In the first part, we work out a general algebraic and geometrical theory of BV algebras, canonical maps, flows and flow stabilizers. In the second part, relying on this formalism, we build a BV algebraic theory of the RG. In line with the graded geometric outlook of our approach, we adjoin the RG scale with an odd parameter and analyse in depth the implications of the r…
Gauge theories that have been first quantized using the Hamiltonian BRST operator formalism are described as classical Hamiltonian BRST systems with a BRST charge of the form <Ψ,ΩΨ>_{even} and with natural ghost and parity degrees for all fields. The associated proper solution of the classical Batalin-Vilkovisky master equation is constructed from first principles. Both of these formulations can be used as starting points for second quantization. In the case of time reparametrization invariant systems, the relation to the standard <Ψ,ΩΨ>_{odd} master action is established.
We analyse the Abelian $N=1$ super-Chern-Simons model coupled to parity-preserving matter in linear and non-linear gauges with exact BRST invariance. Then we analyse the theory in field/antifield formulation to discuss the model at quantum level. Furthermore, we implement the field/antifield dependent transformation parameter to generalize the BRST symmetry of the theory. The novelty of field/antifield dependent BRST transformation is that under change of variable the Jacobian of the functional integral extends the quantum action from linear gauge to non-linear gauge. The results are establish…
We define a jet-space analog of the BV-Laplacian, avoiding delta-functions and infinite constants; instead we show that the main properties of the BV-Laplacian and its relation to the Schouten bracket originate from the underlying jet-space geometry.
A Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism is most general framework to construct consistent quantum field theories. Its mathematical structure is called {\it a Batalin-Vilkovisky structure}. First we explain rather mathematical setting of a Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism. Next, we consider deformation theory of a Batalin-Vilkovisky structure. Especially, we consider deformation of topological sigma models in any dimension, which is closely related to deformation theories in mathematics, including deformation from commutative geometry to noncommutative geometry. We obtain a series of new nontrivial topologi…
We apply the modern Batalin-Vilkovisky quantization techniques of Costello and Gwilliam to noncommutative field theories in the finite-dimensional case of fuzzy spaces. We further develop a generalization of this framework to theories that are equivariant under a triangular Hopf algebra symmetry, which in particular leads to quantizations of finite-dimensional analogs of the field theories proposed recently through the notion of `braided $L_\infty$-algebras'. The techniques are illustrated by computing perturbative correlation functions for scalar and Chern-Simons theories on the fuzzy $2$-sph…
We investigate the background field method with the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism, to generalize known results, study parametric completeness and achieve a better understanding of several properties. In particular, we study renormalization and gauge dependence to all orders. Switching between the background field approach and the usual approach by means of canonical transformations, we prove parametric completeness without making use of cohomological theorems, namely show that if the starting classical action is sufficiently general all divergences can be subtracted by means of parameter redefi…
Batalin-Vilkovisky algebras are a new type of algebraic structure on graded vector spaces, which first arose in the work of Batalin and Vilkovisky on gauge fixing in quantum field theory. In this article, we show that there is a natural structure of a Batalin-Vilkovisky algebra on the cohomology of a topological field theory in two dimensions. Lian and Zuckerman have constructed this Batalin-Vilkovisky structure, in the setting of topological chiral field theories, and shown that the structure is non-trivial in two-dimensional string theory. Our approach is to use algebraic topology, whereas t…
This paper analyzes in details the Batalin-Vilkovisky quantization procedure for BF theories on n-dimensional manifolds and describes a suitable superformalism to deal with the master equation and the search of observables. In particular, generalized Wilson loops for BF theories with additional polynomial B-interactions are discussed in any dimensions. The paper also contains the explicit proofs to the Theorems stated in math.QA/0003073.
An invariant definition of the operator $Δ$ of the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism is proposed. It is defined as the divergence of a Hamiltonian vector field with an odd Poisson bracket (antibracket). Its main properties, which follow from this definition, as well as an example of realization on Kählerian supermanifolds, are considered. The geometrical meaning of the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism is discussed.
We show that the Kaehler structure can be naturally incorporated in the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism. The phase space of the BV formalism becomes a fermionic Kaehler manifold. By introducing an isometry we explicitly construct the fermionic irreducible hermitian symmetric space. We then give some solutions of the master equation in the BV formalism.
Four dimensional N=1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory action is written in terms of the spinor superfields in transverse gauge. This action is seemingly first order in space-time derivatives. Thus, it suggests that the generalized fields approach of obtaining Batalin-Vilkovisky quantization can be applicable. In fact, generalized fields which collect spinor superfields possessing different ghost numbers are introduced to obtain the minimal solution of its Batalin-Vilkovisky master equation in a compact form.
The Batalin-Vilkovisky master equations, both classical and quantum, are precisely the integrability equations for deformations of algebras and differential algebras respectively. This is not a coincidence; the Batalin-Vilkovisky approach is here translated into the language of deformation theory.
We study the manifestly covariant three-dimensional symmetric Chern-Simons action in terms of the Batalin-Vilkovisky quantization method. We find that the Lorentz covariant gauge fixed version of this action is reduced to the usual Chern-Simons type action after a proper field redefinition. Furthermore, the renormalizability of the symmetric Chern-Simons theory turns out to be the same as that of the original Chern-Simons theory.
These notes are intended to provide a self-contained introduction to the basic ideas of finite dimensional Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) formalism and its applications. A brief exposition of super- and graded geometries is also given. The BV-formalism is introduced through an odd Fourier transform and the algebraic aspects of integration theory are stressed. As a main application we consider the perturbation theory for certain finite dimensional integrals within BV-formalism. As an illustration we present a proof of the isomorphism between the graph complex and the Chevalley-Eilenberg complex of for…
In this paper, inspired by the Costello's seminal work, we present a general formulation of exact renormalization group (RG) within the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) quantization scheme. In the spirit of effective field theory, the BV bracket and Laplacian structure as well as the BV effective action (EA) depend on an effective energy scale. The BV EA at a certain scale satisfies the BV quantum master equation at that scale. The RG flow of the EA is implemented by BV canonical maps intertwining the BV structures at different scales. Infinitesimally, this generates the BV exact renormalization group …
In this paper, we study the third quantized super-group field cosmology, a model in multiverse scenario, in Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) formulation. Further, we propose the superfield/super-antifield dependent BRST symmetry transformations. Within this formulation, we establish connection between the two different solutions of the quantum master equation within the BV formulation.
Only the first 15 percent of the file survived the censor that is hidden in the network resources in a previous attempt to submit this thesis to the bulletin board. Hopefully this makes an uncorrupted file available.
We give a conceptual formulation of Kontsevich's `dual construction' producing graph cohomology classes from a differential graded Frobenius algebra with an odd scalar product. Our construction -- whilst equivalent to the original one -- is combinatorics-free and is based on the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism, from which its gauge-independence is immediate.
These lectures on the Batalin-Vilkovisky method of quantization were delivered at "VII Mexican School of Particles and Fields", Mérida, México, October 30-November 6, 1996. In section II, we study the derivation of BV from Schwinger-Dyson-BRST symmetry; in section III, we consider some generalizations of the BV structure suggested by our approach. In section IV, we present a connection between the Poisson bracket and the antibracket and use it to relate the Nambu bracketc with the generalized $n$-brackets of section III.
We perform the gauge-fixing of the theory of a chiral two-form boson in six dimensions starting from the action given by Pasti, Sorokin and Tonin. We use the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism, introducing antifields and writing down an extended action satisfying the classical master equation. Then we gauge-fix the three local symmetries of the extended action in two different ways.
The combined method of Higher Covariant Derivatives and Pauli-Villars regularization to regularize pure Yang-Mills theories is formulated in the framework of Batalin and Vilkovisky. However, BRS invariance is broken by this method and suitable counterterms should be added to restore it. The one loop counterterm is presented. Contrary to the scheme of Slavnov, this method is regularizing and leads to consistent renormalization group functions, which are the same as those found by other regularization schemes.
We show that the classical Brink-Schwarz superparticle is a generalized AKSZ field theory. We work in the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism: the main technical tool is the vanishing of Batalin--Vilkovisky cohomology below degree -1.
In this short note we extend the results of Alfaro and Damgaard on the origin of antifields to theories with a gauge algebra that is open or reducible.
In this paper we will analyse a three dimensional super-Yang-Mills theory on a deformed superspace with boundaries. We show that it is possible to obtain an undeformed theory on the boundary if the bulk superspace is deformed by imposing a non-vanishing commutator between bosonic and fermionic coordinates. We will also analyse this theory in the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) formalism and show that these results also hold at a quantum level.
We consider the BRST invariant Gribov-Zwanziger theory with appropriate horizon term in Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism. The usual infinitesimal BRST transformation is generalized by considering the parameter finite and field dependent. We show that such finite field dependent BRST transformation with suitable choice of finite parameter relates the generating functional of Gribov-Zwanziger theory to that of the Yang-Mills theory.
The antifields of the Batalin-Vilkovisky Lagrangian quantization are standard antighosts of certain collective fields. These collective fields ensure that Schwinger-Dyson equations are satisfied as a consequence of the gauge symmetry algebra. The associated antibracket and its canonical structure appear naturally if one integrates out the corresponding ghost fields. An analogous Master Equation for the action involving these ghosts follows from the requirement that the path integral gives rise to the correct Schwinger-Dyson equations.
The geometry of supermanifolds provided with $Q$-structure (i.e. with odd vector field $Q$ satisfying $\{ Q,Q\} =0$), $P$-structure (odd symplectic structure ) and $S$-structure (volume element) or with various combinations of these structures is studied. The results are applied to the analysis of Batalin-Vilkovisky approach to the quantization of gauge theories. In particular the semiclassical approximation in this approach is expressed in terms of Reidemeister torsion.
The algebraic and geometric structures of deformations are analyzed concerning topological field theories of Schwarz type by means of the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism. Deformations of the Chern-Simons-BF theory in three dimensions induces the Courant algebroid structure on the target space as a sigma model. Deformations of BF theories in $n$ dimensions are also analyzed. Two dimensional deformed BF theory induces the Poisson structure and three dimensional deformed BF theory induces the Courant algebroid structure on the target space as a sigma model. The deformations of BF theories in $n$ dim…
We give the operadic formulation of (weak, strong) topological vertex algebras, which are variants of topological vertex operator algebras studied recently by Lian and Zuckerman. As an application, we obtain a conceptual and geometric construction of the Batalin-Vilkovisky algebraic structure (or the Gerstenhaber algebra structure) on the cohomology of a topological vertex algebra (or of a weak topological vertex algebra) by combining this operadic formulation with a theorem of Getzler (or of Cohen) which formulates Batalin-Vilkovisky algebras (or Gerstenhaber algebras) in terms of the homolog…
A general solution of the Batalin-Vilkovisky master equation was formulated in terms of generalized fields. Recently, a superfields approach of obtaining solutions of the Batalin-Vilkovisky master equation is also established. Superfields formalism is usually applied to topological quantum field theories. However, generalized fields method is suitable to find solutions of the Batalin-Vilkovisky master equation either for topological quantum field theories or the usual gauge theories like Yang-Mills theory. We show that by truncating some components of superfields with appropriate actions, gene…
A superspace formulation for the Batalin Vilkovisky formalism (also called field-antifield quantization ) with extended BRST invariance (BRST and anti-BRST invariance ) for gauge theories with closed algebra is presented. In contrast to a recent formulation, where only BRST invariance holds off shell, two collective sets of fields are introduced and an off shell realization of the extended algebra in a superspace with two Grassmann coordinates is obtained. The example of the Yang Mills theory is also considered.
The correspondence between the BV-formalism and integration theory on supermanifolds is established. An explicit formula for the density on a Lagrangian surface in a superspace provided with an odd symplectic structure and a volume form is proposed.
This is a paper about geometry of (iterated) variations. We explain why no sources of divergence are built into the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) Laplacian, whence there is no need to postulate any ad hoc conventions such as "$δ(0)=0$" and "$\logδ(0)=0$" within BV-approach to quantisation of gauge systems. Remarkably, the geometry of iterated variations does not refer at all to the construction of Dirac's $δ$-function as a limit of smooth kernels. We illustrate the reasoning by re-deriving - but not just "formally postulating" - the standard properties of BV-Laplacian and Schouten bracket and by ver…
The present work contains a complete formulation of the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) formalism in the framework of locally covariant field theory. In the first part of the thesis the classical theory is investigated with a particular focus on the infinite dimensional character of the underlying structures. It is shown that the use of infinite dimensional differential geometry allows for a conceptually clear and elegant formulation. The construction of the BV complex is performed in a fully covariant way and we also generalize the BV framework to a more abstract level, using functors and natural tra…
This paper gives a way to renormalise certain quantum field theories on compact manifolds. Examples include Yang-Mills theory (in dimension 4 only), Chern-Simons theory and holomorphic Chern-Simons theory. The method is within the framework of the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism. Chern-Simons theory is renormalised in a way respecting all symmetries (up to homotopy). This yields an invariant of smooth manifolds: a certain algebraic structure on the cohomology of the manifold tensored with a Lie algebra, which is a "higher loop" enrichment of the natural Lie-infinity structure.
Kontsevich's formality theorem states that the differential graded Lie algebra of multidifferential operators on a manifold M is L-infinity-quasi-isomorphic to its cohomology. The construction of the L-infinity map is given in terms of integrals of differential forms on configuration spaces of points in the upper half-plane. Here we consider configuration spaces of points in the disk and work equivariantly with respect to the rotation group. This leads to considering the differential graded Lie algebra of multivector fields endowed with a divergence operator. In the case of R^d with standard v…
We give a generally covariant description, in the sense of symplectic geometry, of gauge transformations in Batalin-Vilkovisky quantization. Gauge transformations exist not only at the classical level, but also at the quantum level, where they leave the action-weighted measure $dμ_S = dμe^{2S/\hbar}$ invariant. The quantum gauge transformations and their Lie algebra are $\hbar$-deformations of the classical gauge transformation and their Lie algebra. The corresponding Lie brackets $[ , ]^q$, and $[ , ]^c$, are constructed in terms of the symplectic structure and the measure $dμ_S$. We discuss …
We consider the Batalin-Vilkovisky formulation of both 1-form and 2-form gauge theories, in the context of generalized BRST transformations with finite field dependent parameter. In the usual Faddeev-Popov formulation of gauge theories such finite field dependent BRST (FFBRST) transformations do not leave the generating functionals invariant as the path integral measure changes in a non-trivial way for a finite transformations. Here we show that FFBRST transformation, with appropriate choice of finite field-dependent parameter, is symmetry of the generating functionals in the Batalin-Vilkovisk…
This short note is closely related to Sen-Zwiebach paper on gauge transformations in Batalin-Vilkovisky theory (hep-th 9309027). We formulate some conditions of physical equivalence of solutions to the quantum master equation and use these conditions to give a very transparent analysis of symmetry transformations in BV-approach. We prove that in some sense every quantum observable (i.e. every even function $H$ obeying $Δ_ρ(He^S)=0$) determines a symmetry of the theory with the action functional $S$ satisfying quantum master equation $Δ_ρe^S=0$ \end
We introduce the Virasoro symmetry in the BV formalism and give an explicit construction of the anti-bracket, which is Virasoro invariant. It is shown that the master equation with this anti-bracket has an infinite number of solutions. The base space of the BV formalism is a fermionic version of the Virasoro manifold $Diff(S^1)/S^1$. We discuss also the Ricci tensor of this fermionic manifold.
In this paper, we show that there exists a hidden gauge reducibility in superstring field theory based on the small dynamical string field $Ψ\in \mathcal{H}_{βγ}$ whose gauge variation is also small $δΨ\in \mathcal{H}_{βγ}$. It requires additional ghost-antighost fields in the gauge fixed or quantum gauge theory, and thus changes the Batalin-Vilkovisky master action, which implies that additional propagating degrees of freedom appear in the loop superstring amplitudes via the gauge choice of the field theory. We present that the resultant master action can take a different and enlarged form, a…
