We formulate conformal field theory in the setting of algebraic quantum field theory as Haag-Kastler nets of local observable algebras with diffeomorphism covariance on the two-dimensional Minkowski space. We then obtain a decomposition of a two-dimensional theory into two chiral theories. We give the first classification result of such chiral theories with representation theoretic invariants. That is, we use the central charge as the first invariant, and if it is less than 1, we obtain a complete classification. Our classification list contains a new net which does not seem to arise from the known constructions such as the coset or orbifold constructions. We also present a classification of full two-dimensional conformal theories. These are joint works with Roberto Longo.
We summarize the results obtained in the last few years about permutation orbifolds in two-dimensional conformal field theories, their application to string theory and their use in the construction of four-dimensional heterotic string models.
We review how modular categories, and commutative and non-commutative Frobenius algebras arise in rational conformal field theory. For Euclidean CFT we use an approach based on sewing of surfaces, and in the Minkowskian case we describe CFT by a net of operator algebras.
We review the recently developed relation between the traditional algebraic approach to conformal field theories and the more recent probabilistic approach based on stochastic Loewner evolutions. It is based on implementing random conformal maps in conformal field theories.
We propose a superfield method to construct off-shell actions for N-extended conformal supergravity theories in three space-time dimensions. It makes use of the superform technique to engineer supersymmetric invariants. The method is specifically applied to the case of N=1 conformal supergravity and provides a new realization for the actions of conformal and topologically massive supergravities.
We discuss non-relativistic conformal algebras generalizing the Schrödinger algebra. One instance of these algebras is a conformal, acceleration-extended, Galilei algebra, which arises also as a contraction of the relativistic conformal algebra. In two dimensions, this admits an "exotic" central extension, whereby boosts do not commute. We study general properties of non-relativistic conformal field theories with such symmetry. We realize geometrically the symmetry in terms of a metric invariant under the exotic conformal Galilei algebra, although its signature is neither Lorentzian nor Euclid…
We give an exposition on the current status of classification of operator algebraic conformal field theories. We explain roles of complete rationality and alpha-induction for nets of subfactors in such a classification and present the current classification result, a joint work with R. Longo, for the case with central charge less than 1, where we have a complete classification list consisting of the Virasoro nets, their simple current extensions of index 2, and four exceptionals. Two of the four exceptionals appear to be new.
We present a family of conformal field theories (or candidates for CFTs) that is build on extremal partition functions. Spectra of these theories can be decomposed into the irreducible representations of the Fischer-Griess Monster sporadic group. Interesting periodicities in the coefficients of extremal partition functions are observed and interpreted as a possible extension of Monster moonshine to c=24k holomorphic field theories.
We revisit the construction of conformal field theories based on Takiff algebras and superalgebras that was introduced by Babichenko and Ridout. Takiff superalgebras can be thought of as truncated current superalgebras with Z-grading which arise from taking p copies of a Lie superalgebra g and placing them in the degrees s=0,...,p-1. Using suitably defined non-degenerate invariant forms we show that Takiff superalgebras give rise to families of conformal field theories with central charge c=p sdim(g). The resulting conformal field theories are defined in the standard way, i.e. they lend themse…
We provide evidence that the conformal blocks of N=1 super Liouville conformal field theory are described in terms of the SU(2) Nekrasov partition function on the ALE space O_{P^1}(-2).
We discuss the recent results of the author on the existence of systems of differential equations for chiral genus-zero and genus-one correlation functions in conformal field theories.
It is known that there are 48 Virasoro algebras acting on the monster conformal field theory. We call conformal field theories with such a property, which are not necessarily chiral, code conformal field theories. In this paper, we introduce a notion of a framed algebra, which is a finite-dimensional non-associative algebra, and showed that the category of framed algebras and the category of code conformal field theories are equivalent. We have also constructed a new family of integrable conformal field theories using this equivalence. These conformal field theories are expected to be useful f…
Parafermionic conformal field theories are considered on a purely algebraic basis. The generalized Jacobi type identity is presented. Systems of free fermions coupled to each other by nontrivial parafermionic type relations are studied in detail. A new parafermionic conformal algebra is introduced, it describes the sl(2|1)/u(1)^2 coset system.
We consider various homotopy algebras related to Yang-Mills theory and two-dimensional conformal field theory (CFT). Our main objects of study are Yang-Mills $L_{\infty}$ and $C_{\infty}$ algebras and their relation to the certain algebraic structures of Lian-Zuckerman type in CFT. We also consider several examples of algebras related to gauge theory, involving first order formulations and gauge theories with matter fields.
Exact equations are proposed to describe g-function flows in integrable boundary quantum field theories which interpolate between different conformal field theories in their ultraviolet and infrared limits, extending previous work where purely massive flows were treated. The approach is illustrated with flows between the tricritical and critical Ising models, but the method is not restricted to these cases and should be of use in unravelling general patterns of integrable boundary flows between pairs of conformal field theories.
We formulate the unitary rational orbifold conformal field theories in the algebraic quantum field theory framework. Under general conditions, we show that the orbifold of a given unitary rational conformal field theories generates a unitary modular category. Many new unitary modular categories are obtained. We also show that the irreducible representations of orbifolds of rank one lattice vertex operator algebras give rise to unitary modular categories and determine the corresponding modular matrices, which has been conjectured for some time.
We present remarkable properties of the groups SL2(Z/NZ) which might be useful in detailed studies of some quotients appearing in Conformal Field Theories.
In this article we inspect the dynamics of classical field theories with a local conformal behavior. Our interest in the multisymplectic setting comes from its suitable description of field theories, and the conformal character has been added to account for field theories that are scale invariant, flat spaces, and because some conformal fields can be exactly solved or classified. In particular, we will solve the example of a conformal scalar field using the geometric Hamilton-Jacobi theory that is explicitly proposed for conformal fields on a multisymplectic manifold. To complete the geometric…
We present a construction of non-equilibrium steady states within conformal field theory. These states sustain energy flows between two quantum systems, initially prepared at different temperatures, whose dynamical properties are represented by two, possibly different, conformal field theories connected through an impurity. This construction relies on a real time formulation of conformal defect dynamics based on a field scattering picture parallelizing - but yet different from - the Euclidean formulation. We present the basic characteristics of this formulation and give an algebraic constructi…
We develop a manifestly conformal approach to describe linearised (super)conformal higher-spin gauge theories in arbitrary conformally flat backgrounds in three and four spacetime dimensions. Closed-form expressions in terms of gauge prepotentials are given for gauge-invariant higher-spin (super) Cotton and (super) Weyl tensors in three and four dimensions, respectively. The higher-spin (super) Weyl tensors are shown to be conformal primary (super)fields in arbitrary conformal (super)gravity backgrounds, however they are gauge invariant only if the background (super) Weyl tensor vanishes. The …
We show that rational conformal field theories in 1+1 dimensions on a Klein bottle, with length $L$ and width $β$, satisfying $L \gg β$, have a universal entropy. This universal entropy is a topological invariant depending on the quantum dimensions of the primary fields and can be accurately extracted by taking a proper ratio between the Klein bottle and torus partition functions, enabling a characterization of conformal critical theories. The result is checked against exact calculations in quantum spin-1/2 XY and Ising chains.
We prove an equivalence between the following notions: (i) unitary Möbius vertex algebras, and (ii) Wightman conformal field theories on the circle (with finite-dimensional conformal weight spaces) satisfying an additional condition that we call uniformly bounded order. Reading this equivalence in one direction, we obtain new analytic and operator-theoretic information about vertex operators. In the other direction we characterize OPEs of Wightman fields and show they satisfy the axioms of a vertex algebra. As an application we establish new results linking unitary vertex operator algebras wit…
This paper describes a framework in which techniques from arithmetic algebraic geometry are used to formulate a direct and intrinsic link between the geometry of Calabi-Yau manifolds and aspects of the underlying conformal field theory. As an application the algebraic number field determined by the fusion rules of the conformal field theory is derived from the number theoretic structure of the cohomological Hasse-Weil L-function determined by Artin's congruent zeta function of the algebraic variety. In this context a natural number theoretic characterization arises for the quantum dimensions i…
All unitary Rational Conformal Field Theories (RCFT) are conjectured to be related to unitary coset Conformal Field Theories, i.e., gauged Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) models with compact gauge groups. In this paper we use subfactor theory and ideas of algebraic quantum field theory to approach coset Conformal Field Theories. Two conjectures are formulated and their consequences are discussed. Some results are presented which prove the conjectures in special cases. In particular, one of the results states that a class of representations of coset $W_N$ ($N\geq 3$) algebras with critical parameters …
We reexamine two-dimensional Lorentzian conformal field theory using the formalism previously developed in a study of sine-square deformation of Euclidean conformal field theory. We construct three types of Virasoro algebra. One of them reproduces the result by Lüscher and Mack, while another type exhibits the divergence in the central charge term. The other leads the continuous spectrum and contains no closed time-like curve in the system.
Following the 1984 seminal work of Belavin, Polyakov and Zamolodchikov on two-dimensional conformal field theories, Toda conformal field theories were introduced in the physics literature as a family of two-dimensional conformal field theories that enjoy, in addition to conformal symmetry, an extended level of symmetry usually referred to as W-symmetry or higher-spin symmetry. More precisely Toda conformal field theories provide a natural way to associate to a finite-dimensional simple and complex Lie algebra a conformal field theory for which the algebra of symmetry contains the Virasoro alge…
We demonstrate the equivalence of Kazama-Suzuki cosets $G(m,n,k)$ and $G(k,n,m)$ based on complex Grassmannians by proving that the corresponding conformal precosheaves are isomorphic. We also determine all the irreducible representations of the conformal precosheaves.
We introduce the natural lift of spacetime diffeomorphisms for conformal gravity and discuss the physical equivalence between the natural and gauge natural structure of the theory. Accordingly, we argue that conformal transformations must be introduced as gauge transformations (affecting fields but not spacetime point) and then discuss special structures implied by the splitting of the conformal group.
SLE_k stochastic processes describe growth of random curves which, in some cases, may be identified with boundaries of two dimensional critical percolating clusters. By generalizing SLE_k growths to formal Markov processes on the central extension of the 2d conformal group, we establish a connection between conformal field theories with central charges c_k=(3k-8)(6/k-1)/2 and zero modes -- observables which are conserved in mean -- of the SLE_k stochastic processes.
