We consider the global aspects of the 6-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=(1, 0)$ theory arising from the coupling of the vector multiplet to the tensor multiplet. We show that the Yang-Mills field and its dual, when both are abelianized, combine to define a class in twisted cohomology with the twist arising from the class of the $B$-field, in a duality-symmetric manner. We then show that this lifts naturally to a class in twisted (differential) K-theory. Alternatively, viewing the B-field in both $\mathcal{N}=(1,0)$ and $\mathcal{N}=(2,0)$ theories, not as a twist but as an invertible element, leads to a description within untwisted chromatic level two generalized cohomology theories, including forms of elliptic cohomology and Morava K-theory.
We define exotic twisted $S^1$-equivariant cohomology for the loop space $LZ$ of a smooth manifold $Z$ via the invariant differential forms on $LZ$ with coefficients in the (typically non-flat) holonomy line bundle of a gerbe, with differential an equivariantly flat superconnection. We introduce the twisted Bismut-Chern character form, a loop space refinement of the twisted Chern character form, which represent classes in the completed periodic exotic twisted $S^1$-equivariant cohomology of $LZ$. We establish a localisation theorem for the completed periodic exotic twisted $S^1$-equivariant co…
In this article, we study the twisting procedure of orbifold cohomology. We introduce local system and construct twisted orbifold cohomology. Then, we generalize Vafa-Witten's notion of discrete torsion to general orbifold and examine its relation to local system. Finally, some examples are computed.
It is found that the 2-index potential in nonabelian theories does not behave geometrically as a connection but that, considered as an element of the second de Rham cohomology group twisted by a flat connection, it fits well with all the properties assigned to it in various physical contexts. We also prove some results on the Euler characteristic of the twisted de Rham complex.
We define the twisted de Rham cohomology and show how to use it to define the notion of an integral of the form $\int g(x) e^{f(x)}dx$ over an arbitrary ring. We discuss also a definition of a family of integrals and some properties of the homological definition of integral. We show how to use the twisted de Rham cohomology in order to define the Frobenius map on the p-adic cohomology. Finally, we consider two-dimensional topological quantum field theories with general coefficients.
For an integral cohomology class H of degree n+2 on a space X, we define twisted Morava K-theory K(n)(X; H) at the prime 2, as well as an integral analogue. We explore properties of this twisted cohomology theory, study a twisted Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence, and give a universal coefficient theorem (in the spirit of Khorami). We extend the construction to define twisted Morava E-theory, and provide applications to string theory and M-theory.
It is found that the 2-index potential in nonabelian theories does not behave geometrically as a connection but that, considered as an element of the second de Rham cohomology group twisted by a flat connection, it fits well with all the properties assigned to it in various physical contexts. We also prove some results on the Euler characteristic of the twisted de Rham complex. Finally, provided that some conditions are satisfied, we propose a non-Abelian generalisation of S-duality.
In this paper, we construct for higher twists that arise from cohomotopy classes, the Chern character in higher twisted K-theory, that maps into higher twisted cohomology. We show that it gives rise to an isomorphism between higher twisted K-theory and higher twisted cohomology over the reals. Finally we compute spherical T-duality in higher twisted K-theory and higher twisted cohomology in very general cases.
We propose Weil and Cartan models for the equivariant cohomology of noncommutative spaces which carry a covariant action of Drinfel'd twisted symmetries. The construction is suggested by the noncommutative Weil algebra of Alekseev and Meinrenken; we show that one can implement a Drinfel'd twist of their models in order to take into account the noncommutativity of the spaces we are acting on.
The FDA algebras emerging from twisted tori compactifications of M-theory with fluxes are discussed within the general classification scheme provided by Sullivan's theorems and by Chevalley cohomology. It is shown that the generalized Maurer Cartan equations which have appeared in the literature, in spite of their complicated appearance, once suitably decoded within cohomology, lead to trivial FDA.s, all new p--form generators being contractible when the 4--form flux is cohomologically trivial. Non trivial D=4 FDA.s can emerge from non trivial fluxes but only if the cohomology class of the flu…
In the background effective field theory of heterotic string theory, the Green-Schwarz anomaly cancellation mechanism plays a key role. Here we reinterpret it and its magnetic dual version in terms of differential twisted String- and differential twisted Fivebrane-structures that generalize the notion of Spin-structures and Spin-lifting gerbes and their differential refinement to smooth Spin-connections. We show that all these structures can be encoded in terms of nonabelian cohomology, twisted nonabelian cohomology, and differential twisted nonabelian cohomology, extending the differential ge…
We calculate partition function and correlation functions in A-twisted 2d $\mathcal{N}=(2,2)$ theories and topologically twisted 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ theories containing adjoint chiral multiplet with particular choices of $R$-charges and the magnetic fluxes for flavor symmetries. According to Gauge-Bethe correspondence, they correspond to Heisenberg XXX and XXZ spin chain models. We identify the partition function as the inverse of the norm of the Bethe eigenstates. Correlation functions are identified as the coefficients of the expectation value of Baxter $Q$-operators. In addition, we consider…
We consider a recently proposed two-dimensional Abelian model for a Hodge theory, which is neither a Witten type nor a Schwarz type topological theory. It is argued that this model is not a good candidate for a Hodge theory since, on-shell, the BRST Laplacian vanishes. We show, that this model allows for a natural extension such that the resulting topological theory is of Witten type and can be identified with the twisted N=16, D=2 super Maxwell theory. Furthermore, the underlying basic cohomology preserves the Hodge-type structure and, on-shell, the BRST Laplacian does not vanish.
We present an equivariant extension of the Thom form with respect to a vector field action, in the framework of the Mathai-Quillen formalism. The associated Topological Quantum Field Theories correspond to twisted $N=2$ supersymmetric theories with a central charge. We analyze in detail two different cases: topological sigma models and non-abelian monopoles on four-manifolds.
In this paper we introduce exotic twisted $\mathbb T$-equivariant K-theory of loop space $LZ$ depending on the (typically non-flat) holonomy line bundle ${\mathcal L}^B$ on $LZ$ induced from a gerbe with connection $B$ on $Z$. We also define exotic twisted $\mathbb T$-equivariant Chern character that maps the exotic twisted $\mathbb T$-equivariant K-theory of $LZ$ into the exotic twisted $\mathbb T$-equivariant cohomology as defined in an earlier paper of ours, and which localises to twisted cohomology of $Z$.
We use the BRST formalism to classify the gauge orbits of type II string theory's Ramond-Ramond (RR) field strengths under large RR gauge transformations of the RR gauge potentials. We find that this construction is identical to the Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence construction of twisted K-theory, where the Atiyah-Hirzebruch differentials are the BRST operators. The actions of the large gauge transformations on the field strengths that lie in an integral lattice of de Rham cohomology are found using supergravity, while the action on Z_2 torsion classes is found using the Freed-Witten anoma…
The symmetries of the topological Yang-Mills theory are studied in the Hamiltonian formalism and the generators of the twisted N=2 superPoincaré algebra are explicitly constructed. Noting that the twisted Lorentz generators do not generate the Lorentz symmetry of the theory, we relate the two by extracting from the latter the twisted version of the internal SU(2) generator. The hermiticity properties of the various generators are also considered throughout, and the boost generators are found to be non-hermitian. We then recover the BRST cohomology condition on physical states from representati…
In this paper, we study the perturbative aspects of the half-twisted variant of Witten's topological A-model coupled to a non-dynamical gauge field with Kahler target space X being a G-manifold. Our main objective is to furnish a purely physical interpretation of the equivariant cohomology of the chiral de Rham complex, recently constructed by Lian and Linshaw in [arXiv:math/0501084], called the "chiral equivariant cohomology". In doing so, one finds that key mathematical results such as the vanishing in the chiral equivariant cohomology of positive weight classes, lend themselves to straightf…
It has been shown recently by Kapustin and Tomasiello that the mathematical notion of Hamiltonian actions on twisted generalized Kähler manifolds is in perfect agreement with the physical notion of general $(2,2)$ gauged sigma models with three-form fluxes. In this article, we study the twisted equivariant cohomology theory of Hamiltonian actions on $H$-twisted generalized complex manifolds. If the manifold satisfies the $\bar{\partial}\partial$-lemma, we establish the equivariant formality theorem. If in addition, the manifold satisfies the generalized Kähler condition, we prove the Kirwan in…
We consider a class of lattice topological field theories, among which are the weak-coupling limit of 2d Yang-Mills theory and 3d Riemannian quantum gravity, whose dynamical variables are flat discrete connections with compact structure group on a cell 2-complex. In these models, it is known that the path integral measure is ill-defined because of a phenomenon known as `bubble divergences'. In this paper, we extend recent results of the authors to the cases where these divergences cannot be understood in terms of cellular cohomology. We introduce in its place the relevant {\it twisted} cohomol…
We describe a generalization of Yang--Mills topological field theory for Abelian two-forms in six dimensions. The connection of this theory by a twist to Poincaré supersymmetric theories is given. We also briefly consider interactions and the case of self-dual three-forms in eight dimensions.
RR fluxes representing different cohomology classes may correspond to the same twisted K-theory class. We argue that such fluxes are related by monodromies, generalizing and sometimes T-dual to the familiar monodromies of a D7-brane. A generalized theta angle is also transformed, but changes by a multiple of 2pi. As an application, NS5-brane monodromies modify the twisted K-theory classification of fluxes. Furthermore, in the noncompact case K-theory does not distinguish flux configurations in which dG is nontrivial in compactly supported cohomology. Such fluxes are realized as the decay produ…
We investigate in detail the critical $N{=}2$ fermionic string with and without a global ${\bf Z}_2$ twist. An analysis of BRST cohomology shows that twisted sectors contain massless `spacetime' fermions which are {\it non-local\/} with respect to the standard massless boson. However, two distinct GSO projections exist, one (untwisted) retaining merely the usual boson and its spectral-flow partner, the other (twisted) yielding two fermions and one boson, on the massless level. The corresponding chiral BRST-invariant vertex operators are constructed in certain pictures, and their fusion and pic…
