We study a self-dual N=1 super vertex operator algebra and prove that the full symmetry group is Conway's largest sporadic simple group. We verify a uniqueness result which is analogous to that conjectured to characterize the Moonshine vertex operator algebra. The action of the automorphism group is sufficiently transparent that one can derive explicit expressions for all the McKay-Thompson series. A corollary of the construction is that the perfect double cover of the Conway group may be characterized as a point-stabilizer in a spin module for the Spin group associated to a 24 dimensional Euclidean space.
We introduce the notion of vertex operator superalgebra with enhanced conformal structure, which is a refinement of the notion of vertex operator superalgebra. We exhibit several examples, including a particular one which is self-dual, and whose full symmetry group is a direct product of a cyclic group of order seven with the sporadic simple group of Rudvalis. We thus obtain an analogue of Monstrous Moonshine for a sporadic group not involved in the Monster. Two variable analogues of the usual McKay--Thompson series are naturally associated to the action of the Rudvalis group on this object, a…
In Part I we introduced the notion of enhanced vertex operator superalgebra, and constructed an example which is self-dual, has rank 28, and whose full symmetry group is a seven-fold cover of the sporadic simple group of Rudvalis. In this article we construct a second enhanced vertex operator superalgebra whose full automorphism group is a cyclic cover of the Rudvalis group. This new example is self-dual and has rank -28. As in Part I, we can compute all the McKay--Thompson series associated to the action of the Rudvalis group explicitly. We observe that these series, when considered together …
We exhibit an action of Conway's group---the automorphism group of the Leech lattice---on a distinguished super vertex operator algebra, and we prove that the associated graded trace functions are normalized principal moduli, all having vanishing constant terms in their Fourier expansion. Thus we construct the natural analogue of the Frenkel--Lepowsky--Meurman moonshine module for Conway's group. The super vertex operator algebra we consider admits a natural characterization, in direct analogy with that conjectured to hold for the moonshine module vertex operator algebra. It also admits a uniq…
Recently, Duncan and Mack-Crane established an isomorphism, as Virasoro modules at central charges c=12, between the space of states of the Conway Moonshine Module and the space of states of a special K3 theory that was extensively studied some time ago by Gaberdiel, Volpato and the two authors. In the present work, we lift this result to the level of modules of the extensions of these Virasoro algebras to N=4 super Virasoro algebras. Moreover, we relate the super vertex operator algebra and module structure of the Conway Moonshine Module to the operator product expansion of this special K3 th…
In the representation theory of finite groups, there is a well-known and important conjecture due to M. Broué. He conjectures that, for any prime p, if a p-block A of a finite group G has an abelian defect group P, then A and its Brauer corresponding block A_N of the normaliser N_G(P) of P in G are derived equivalent (Rickard equivalent). This conjecture is called Strong Version of Broué's Abelian Defect Group Conjecture. In this paper, we prove that the strong version of Broué's abelian defect group conjecture is true for the non-principal 2-block A with an elementary abelian defect group P o…
We construct a Borcherds Kac-Moody (BKM) superalgebra on which the Conway group Co$_0$ acts faithfully. We show that the BKM algebra is generated by the BRST-closed states in a chiral superstring theory. We use this construction to produce denominator identities for the chiral partition functions of the Conway module $V^{s\natural}$, a supersymmetric $c=12$ chiral conformal field theory whose (twisted) partition functions enjoy moonshine properties and which has automorphism group isomorphic to Co$_0$. In particular, these functions satisfy a genus zero property analogous to that of monstrous …
In the representation theory of finite groups, Broué's abelian defect group conjecture says that for any prime p if a p-block A of a finite group G has an abelian defect group P, then A and its Brauer corresponding block B of the normaliser N_G(P) of P in G are derived equivalent. We prove that Broué's conjecture, and even Rickard's splendid equivalence conjecture, are true for the unique 3-block A of defect 2 of the sporadic simple Conway group Co_1, implying that both conjectures hold for all 3-blocks of Co_1. To do so, we determine the 3-decomposition numbers of A, and we actually show that…
We propose a moonshine for the sporadic Mathieu group M_12 that relates its conjugacy classes to various modular forms and Borcherds Kac-Moody Lie superalgebras.
Twenty-five years ago, Conway and Norton published their remarkable paper `Monstrous Moonshine', proposing a completely unexpected relationship between finite simple groups and modular functions. This paper reviews the progress made in broadening and understanding that relationship.
We construct super vertex operator algebras which lead to modules for moonshine relations connecting the four smaller sporadic simple Mathieu groups with distinguished mock modular forms. Starting with an orbifold of a free fermion theory, any subgroup of Co_0 that fixes a 3-dimensional subspace of its unique non-trivial 24-dimensional representation commutes with a certain N=4 superconformal algebra. Similarly, any subgroup of Co_0 that fixes a 2-dimensional subspace of the 24-dimensional representation commutes with a certain N=2 superconformal algebra. Through the decomposition of the corre…
Recent developments in the study of the moonshine phenomenon, including umbral and Conway moonshine, suggest that it may play an important role in encoding the action of finite symmetry groups on the BPS spectrum of K3 string theory. To test and clarify these proposed K3-moonshine connections, we study Landau-Ginzburg orbifolds that flow to conformal field theories in the moduli space of K3 sigma models. We compute K3 elliptic genera twined by discrete symmetries that are manifest in the UV description, though often inaccessible in the IR. We obtain various twining functions coinciding with mo…
The Umbral Moonshine Conjectures assert that there are infinite-dimensional graded modules, for prescribed finite groups, whose McKay-Thompson series are certain distinguished mock modular forms. Gannon has proved this for the special case involving the largest sporadic simple Mathieu group. Here we establish the existence of the umbral moonshine modules in the remaining 22 cases.
We describe the finite subgraph $\mathfrak{M}$ of Conway's Big Picture required to describe all $171$ genus zero groups appearing in monstrous moonshine. We determine the local structure of $\mathfrak{M}$ and give a purely group-theoretic description of this picture, based on powers of the conjugacy classes $24J$ and $8C$. We expect similar results to hold for umbral moonshine groups and give the details for the largest Mathieu group $M_{24}$.
In this paper we prove the existence of an infinite dimensional graded super-module for the finite sporadic Thompson group $Th$ whose McKay-Thompson series are weakly holomorphic modular forms of weight $\frac 12$ satisfying properties conjectured by Harvey and Rayhaun.
The commencement of monstrous moonshine is a connection between the largest sporadic simple group---the monster---and complex elliptic curves. Here we explain how a closer look at this connection leads, via the Thompson group, to recently observed relationships between the non-monstrous sporadic simple group of O'Nan and certain families of elliptic curves defined over the rationals. We also describe umbral moonshine from this perspective.
For each element of the Fischer-Griess Monster sporadic simple group, we construct an infinite dimensional Lie algebra equipped with a projective action of the centralizer of that element. Our construction is given by a string-theoretic "add a spacetime torus and quantize" functor applied to an abelian intertwining algebra that is formed from a family of twisted modules of the Monster vertex operator algebra. We prove that for all Fricke elements in the Monster, the characters of centralizers acting on the corresponding irreducible twisted modules are Hauptmoduln. From these results, we resolv…
We give a summary of R. Borcherds' solution (with some modifications) to the following part of the Conway-Norton conjectures: Given the Monster simple group and Frenkel-Lepowsky-Meurman's moonshine module for the group, prove the equality between the graded characters of the elements of the Monster group acting on the module (i.e., the McKay-Thompson series) and the modular functions provided by Conway and Norton. The equality is established using the homology of a certain subalgebra of the monster Lie algebra, and the Euler-Poincare identity.
We show using Borcherds products that for any fixed-point free automorphism of the Leech lattice satisfying a "no massless states" condition, the corresponding cyclic orbifold of the Leech lattice vertex operator algebra is isomorphic to the Monster vertex operator algebra. This induces an "orbifold duality" bijection between algebraic conjugacy classes of fixed-point free automorphisms of the Leech lattice satisfying this condition and algebraic conjugacy classes of non-Fricke elements in the Monster. We use the duality to show that non-Fricke Monstrous Lie algebras are Borcherds-Kac-Moody Li…
Umbral moonshine connects the symmetry groups of the 23 Niemeier lattices with 23 sets of distinguished mock modular forms. The 23 cases of umbral moonshine have a uniform relation to symmetries of $K3$ string theories. Moreover, a supersymmetric vertex operator algebra with Conway sporadic symmetry also enjoys a close relation to the $K3$ elliptic genus. Inspired by the above two relations between moonshine and $K3$ string theory, we construct a chiral CFT by orbifolding the free theory of 24 chiral fermions and two pairs of fermionic and bosonic ghosts. In this paper we mainly focus on the c…
We describe a relationship between the representation theory of the Thompson sporadic group and a weakly holomorphic modular form of weight one-half that appears in work of Borcherds and Zagier on Borcherds products and traces of singular moduli. We conjecture the existence of an infinite dimensional graded module for the Thompson group and provide evidence for our conjecture by constructing McKay--Thompson series for each conjugacy class of the Thompson group that coincide with weight one-half modular forms of higher level. We also observe a discriminant property in this moonshine for the Tho…
We study the web of correspondences linking the exceptional Lie algebras $E_{8,7,6}$ and the sporadic simple groups Monster, Baby and the largest Fischer group. This is done via the investigation of classical enumerative problems on del Pezzo surfaces in relation to the cusps of certain subgroups of $PSL(2,R)$ for the relevant McKay-Thompson series in Generalized Moonshine. We also study Conway's sporadic group, as well as its association with the Horrocks-Mumford bundle.
We introduce a notion of Hecke-monicity for functions on certain moduli spaces associated to torsors of finite groups over elliptic curves, and show that it implies strong invariance properties under linear fractional transformations. Specifically, if a weakly Hecke-monic function has algebraic integer coefficients and a pole at infinity, then it is either a holomorphic genus-zero function invariant under a congruence group or of a certain degenerate type. As a special case, we prove the same conclusion for replicable functions of finite order, which were introduced by Conway and Norton in the…
In this paper we address the following two closely related questions. First, we complete the classification of finite symmetry groups of type IIA string theory on $K3\times \mathbb R^6$, where Niemeier lattices play an important role. This extends earlier results by including points in the moduli space with enhanced gauge symmetries in spacetime, or, equivalently, where the world-sheet CFT becomes singular. After classifying the symmetries as abstract groups, we study how they act on the BPS states of the theory. In particular, we classify the conjugacy classes in the T-duality group $O^+(Γ^{4…
Eguchi, Ooguri and Tachikawa have observed that the elliptic genus of type II string theory on K3 surfaces appears to possess a Moonshine for the largest Mathieu group. Subsequent work by several people established a candidate for the elliptic genus twisted by each element of M24. In this paper we prove that the resulting sequence of class functions are true characters of M24, proving the Eguchi-Ooguri-Tachikawa conjecture. We prove the evenness property of the multiplicities, as conjectured by several authors. We also identify the role group cohomology plays in both K3-Mathieu Moonshine and M…
Answering a question posed by Conway and Norton in their seminal 1979 paper on moonshine, we prove the existence of a graded infinite-dimensional module for the sporadic simple group of O'Nan, for which the McKay--Thompson series are weight $3/2$ modular forms. The coefficients of these series may be expressed in terms of class numbers, traces of singular moduli, and central critical values of quadratic twists of weight 2 modular $L$-functions. As a consequence, for primes $p$ dividing the order of the O'Nan group we obtain congruences between O'Nan group character values and class numbers, $p…
We use the unique canonically-twisted module over a certain distinguished super vertex operator algebra---the moonshine module for Conway's group---to attach a weak Jacobi form of weight zero and index one to any symplectic derived equivalence of a projective complex K3 surface that fixes a stability condition in the distinguished space identified by Bridgeland. According to work of Huybrechts, following Gaberdiel--Hohenegger--Volpato, any such derived equivalence determines a conjugacy class in Conway's group, the automorphism group of the Leech lattice. Conway's group acts naturally on the m…
In recent literature, moonshine has been explored for some groups beyond the Monster, for example the sporadic O'Nan and Thompson groups. This collection of examples may suggest that moonshine is a rare phenomenon, but a fundamental and largely unexplored question is how general the correspondence is between modular forms and finite groups. For every finite group $G$, we give constructions of infinitely many graded infinite-dimensional $\mathbb{C}[G]$-modules where the McKay-Thompson series for a conjugacy class $[g]$ is a weakly holomorphic modular function properly on $Γ_0(\text{ord}(g))$. A…
For certain subgroups of $M_{24}$, we give vertex operator algebraic module constructions whose associated trace functions are meromorphic Jacobi forms. These meromorphic Jacobi forms are canonically associated to the mock modular forms of Mathieu moonshine. The construction is related to the Conway moonshine module and employs a technique introduced by Anagiannis--Cheng--Harrison. With this construction we are able to give concrete vertex algebraic realizations of certain cuspidal Hecke eigenforms of weight two. In particular, we give explicit realizations of trace functions whose integraliti…
The Prime Graph Question for integral group rings asks if it is true that if the normalized unit group of the integral group ring of a finite group $G$ contains an element of order $pq$, for some primes $p$ and $q$, also $G$ contains an element of that order. We answer this question for the three Conway sporadic simple groups after reducing it to a combinatorial question about Young tableaus and Littlewood-Richardson coefficients. This finishes work of V. Bovdi, A. Konovalov and S. Linton.
We describe surprising relationships between automorphic forms of various kinds, imaginary quadratic number fields and a certain system of six finite groups that are parameterised naturally by the divisors of twelve. The Mathieu group correspondence recently discovered by Eguchi-Ooguri-Tachikawa is recovered as a special case. We introduce a notion of extremal Jacobi form and prove that it characterises the Jacobi forms arising by establishing a connection to critical values of Dirichlet series attached to modular forms of weight two. These extremal Jacobi forms are closely related to certain …
The classical theory of monstrous moonshine describes the unexpected connection between the representation theory of the monster group $M$, the largest of the simple sporadic groups, and certain modular functions, called Hauptmodln. In particular, the $n$-th Fourier coefficient of Klein's $j$-function is the dimension of the grade $n$ part of a special infinite dimensional representation $V$ of the monster group. More generally the coefficients of Hauptmoduln are graded traces $T_g$ of $g \in M$ acting on $V$. Similar phenomena have been shown to hold for the Matthieu group $M_{24}$, but inste…
Special conformal field theories can have symmetry groups which are interesting sporadic finite simple groups. Famous examples include the Monster symmetry group of a $c=24$ two-dimensional conformal field theory (CFT) constructed by Frenkel, Lepowsky and Meurman, and the Conway symmetry group of a $c=12$ CFT explored in detail by Duncan and Mack-Crane. The Mathieu moonshine connection between the K3 elliptic genus and the Mathieu group $M_{24}$ has led to the study of K3 sigma models with large symmetry groups. A particular K3 CFT with a maximal symmetry group preserving $(4,4)$ superconforma…
