Contribution to the Proceedings of the Conference "Lie Algebras, Vertex Operator Algebras and Their Applications" in honor of Jim Lepowsky and Robert Wilson
The usual vertex algebras have as underlying symmetry the Hopf algebra $H_D=\mathbb C[D]$ of infinitesimal translations. We show that it is possible to replace $H_D$ by another symmetry algebra $H_T=\mathbb C[T,T\inv]$, the group algebra of the Abelian group generated by $T$. $H_T$ is the algebra of symmetries of a lattice of rank 1, and the construction gives a class of vertex algebras related to the Infinite Toda Lattice in the same way as the usual $H_D$-vertex algebras are related to Korteweg-de Vries hierarchies.
The notions of vertex Lie algebra and vertex Poisson algebra are presented and connections among vertex Lie algebras, vertex Poisson algebras and vertex algebras are discussed.
It is shown that a certain representation of the Heisenberg type Krichever-Novikov algebra gives rise to a state field correspondence that is quite similar to the vertex algebra structure of the usual Heisenberg algebra. Finally a definition of Krichever-Novikov type vertex algebras is proposed and its relation to vertex algebras is discussed.
Vertex algebras provide an axiomatic algebraic description of the operator product expansion (OPE) of chiral fields in 2-dimensional conformal field theory. Vertex Lie algebras (= Lie conformal algebras) encode the singular part of the OPE, or, equivalently, the commutators of chiral fields. We discuss generalizations of vertex algebras and vertex Lie algebras, which are relevant for higher-dimensional quantum field theory.
Let H_T=C[T,T^{-1}] be the Hopf algebra of symmetries of a lattice of rank 1, or equivalently, H_T is the group algebra of a free Abelian group with one generator T. We construct conformal algebras, vertex Poisson algebras and vertex algebras with H_T as symmetry. For example, the Hamiltonian structure for the infinite Toda lattice gives rise to an H_T-vertex Poisson structure on a free difference algebra. Examples of H_T-vertex algebras are constructed from representations of a class of infinite dimensional Lie algebras related to H_T in the same way loop algebras are related to the Hopf alge…
We give a short introduction to generalized vertex algebras, using the notion of polylocal fields. We construct a generalized vertex algebra associated to a vector space h with a symmetric bilinear form. It contains as subalgebras all lattice vertex algebras of rank equal to dim h and all irreducible representations of these vertex algebras.
We study several families of vertex operator superalgebras from a jet (super)scheme point of view. We provide new examples of vertex algebras which are "chiralizations" of their Zhu's Poisson algebras $R_V$. Our examples come from affine $C_\ell^{(1)}$-series vertex algebras ($\ell \geq 1$), certain $N=1$ superconformal vertex algebras, Feigin-Stoyanovsky principal subspaces, Feigin-Stoyanovsky type subspaces, graph vertex algebras $W_Γ$, and extended Virasoro vertex algebra. We also give a counterexample to the chiralization property for the $N=2$ superconformal vertex algebra of central char…
We define a new class of quantum vertex algebras, based on the Hopf algebra $H_D=\mathbb{C}[D]$ of "infinitesimal translations" generated by $D$. Besides the braiding map describing the obstruction to commutativity of products of vertex operators, $H_D$-quantum vertex algebras have as main new ingredient a "translation map" that describes the obstruction of vertex operators to satisfying translation covariance. The translation map also appears as obstruction to the state-field correspondence being a homomorphism. We use a bicharacter construction of Borcherds to construct a large class of $H_D…
This is a continuation of a previous study of quantum vertex algebras of Zamolodchikov-Faddeev type. In this paper, we focus our attention on the special case associated to diagonal unitary rational quantum Yang-Baxter operators. We prove that the associated weak quantum vertex algebras, if not zero, are irreducible quantum vertex algebras with a normal basis in a certain sense.
Vertex algebras in higher dimensions provide an algebraic framework for investigating axiomatic quantum field theory with global conformal invariance. We develop further the theory of such vertex algebras by introducing formal calculus techniques and investigating the notion of polylocal fields. We derive a Jacobi identity which together with the vacuum axiom can be taken as an equivalent definition of vertex algebra.
We extend the bicharacter construction of quantum vertex algebras first proposed by Borcherds to the case of super Hopf algebras. We give a bicharacter description of the charged free fermion super vertex algebra, which allows us to construct different quantizations of it in the sense of $H_D$-quantum vertex algebras, or specializations to Etingof-Kazhdan quantum vertex algebras. We give formulas for the analytic continuation of product of fields, the operator product expansion and the normal ordered product in terms of the super-bicharacters.
Analogue to commutants in the theory of associative algebras, one can construct a new subalgebra of vertex algebra known as a vertex algebra commutant. In this paper, for the adjoint representation $V$ of Lie algebra $sl(2,\C)$, we describe a commutant of $βγ$- System $S(V)$ by giving its generators, moreover, we get a new Howe pair of vertex algebras.
In this paper we use a bicharacter construction to define an $H_D$-quantum vertex algebra structure corresponding to the quantum vertex operators describing certain classes of symmetric polynomials.
We recall Borcherds's approach to vertex algebras via "singular commutative rings", and introduce new examples of his constructions which we compare to vertex algebras, chiral algebras, and factorization algebras. We show that all vertex algebras (resp. chiral algebras or equivalently factorization algebras) can be realized in these new categories $\text{VA}(A,H,S)$, but we also show that the functors from $\text{VA}(A,H,S)$ to vertex algebras or chiral algebras are not equivalences: a single vertex or chiral algebra may have non-equivalent realizations as an $(A, H,S)$-vertex algebra.
In this paper we build an abstract description of vertex algebras from their basic axioms. Starting with Borcherds' notion of a vertex group, we naturally construct a family of multilinear singular maps parameterised by trees. These singular maps are defined in a way which focusses on the relations of singularities to their inputs. In particular we show that this description of a vertex algebra allows us to present generalised notions of rationality, commutativity and associativity as natural consequences of the definition. Finally, we show that for a certain choice of vertex group, axiomatic …
We introduce notions of open-string vertex algebra, conformal open-string vertex algebra and variants of these notions. These are ``open-string-theoretic,'' ``noncommutative'' generalizations of the notions of vertex algebra and of conformal vertex algebra. Given an open-string vertex algebra, we show that there exists a vertex algebra, which we call the ``meromorphic center,'' inside the original algebra such that the original algebra yields a module and also an intertwining operator for the meromorphic center. This result gives us a general method for constructing open-string vertex algebras…
We give a coset realization of the vertex operator algebra $M(1)^+$ with central charge $\ell$. We realize $M(1)^+$ as a commutant of certain affine vertex algebras of level -1 in the vertex algebra $L_{C_{\ell} ^{(1)}}(-\tfrac{1}{2}Λ_0) \otimes L_{C_{\ell} ^{(1)}}(-\tfrac{1}{2}Λ_0)$. We show that the simple vertex algebra $L_{C_{\ell} ^{(1)}}(-Λ_0)$ can be (conformally) embedded into $L_{A_{2 \ell -1} ^{(1)}} (-Λ_0)$ and find the corresponding decomposition. We also study certain coset subalgebras inside $L_{C_{\ell} ^{(1)}}(-Λ_0)$.
We introduce the notion of a genus and its mass for vertex algebras. For lattice vertex algebras, their genera are the same as those of lattices, which plays an important role in the classification of lattices. We derive a formula relating the mass for vertex algebras to that for lattices, and then give a new characterization of some holomorphic vertex operator algebras.
We study embeddings of the simple admissible affine vertex algebras $V_k(sl(2))$ and $V_k(osp(1,2))$, $k \notin {\Bbb Z}_{\ge 0}$, into the tensor product of rational Virasoro and $N=1$ Neveu-Schwarz vertex algebra with lattice vertex algebras. We prove that the admissible affine vertex algebra $V_k(sl(2))$ can be embedded into vertex algebra $L^{Vir} (c_{p,p'}, 0) \otimes Π(0)$ where $L^{Vir} (c_{p,p'}, 0) $ is suitable minimal Virasoro vertex algebra and $Π(0)$ is a vertex algebra of lattice type. By using these realizations we construct a family of weight, logarithmic and Whittaker $\wideha…
A notion of meromorphic open-string vertex algebra is introduced. A meromorphic open-string vertex algebra is an open-string vertex algebra in the sense of Kong and the author satisfying additional rationality (or meromorphicity) conditions for vertex operators. The vertex operator map for a meromorphic open-string vertex algebra satisfies rationality and associativity but in general does not satisfy the Jacobi identity, commutativity, the commutator formula, the skew-symmetry or even the associator formula. Given a vector space \mathfrak{h}, we construct a meromorphic open-string vertex algeb…
In this paper, we define the shifted superconformal vector of supersymmetric charged free fermion vertex algebras, which is a 1-parameter deformation of the superconformal vector of the SUSY $bc$-$βγ$ system. Moreover, we find the corresponding shifted $N=2$ superconformal symmetry of SUSY charged free fermion vertex algebras, by using the $N_{K}=1$ SUSY vertex algebra formalism. Finally, in order to describe the shifted $N=2$ superconformal symmetry of the SUSY charged free fermion vertex algebra by $N=2$ superfields, we construct an $N_{K}=2$ SUSY version of the $bc$-$βγ$ system.
A definition of a quantum vertex algebra, which is a deformation of a vertex algebra, was proposed by Etingof and Kazhdan in 1998. In a nutshell, a quantum vertex algebra is a braided state-field correspondence which satisfies associativity and braided locality axioms. We develop a structure theory of quantum vertex algebras, parallel to that of vertex algebras. In particular, we introduce braided n-products for a braided state-field correspondence and prove for quantum vertex algebras a version of the Borcherds identity.
Using the Zhu algebra for a certain category of $\mathbb{C}$-graded vertex algebras $V$, we prove that if $V$ is finitely $Ω$-generated and satisfies suitable grading conditions, then $V$ is rational, i.e. has semi-simple representation theory, with one dimensional level zero Zhu algebra. Here $Ω$ denotes the vectors in $V$ that are annihilated by lowering the real part of the grading. We apply our result to the family of rank one Weyl vertex algebras with conformal element $ω_μ$ parameterized by $μ\in \mathbb{C}$, and prove that for certain non-integer values of $μ$, these vertex algebras, wh…
We consider unitary simple vertex operator algebras whose vertex operators satisfy certain energy bounds and a strong form of locality and call them strongly local. We present a general procedure which associates to every strongly local vertex operator algebra V a conformal net A_V acting on the Hilbert space completion of V and prove that the isomorphism class of A_V does not depend on the choice of the scalar product on V. We show that the class of strongly local vertex operator algebras is closed under taking tensor products and unitary subalgebras and that, for every strongly local vertex …
This paper studies certain relations among vertex algebras, vertex Lie algebras and vertex Poisson algebras. In this paper, the notions of vertex Lie algebra (conformal algebra) and vertex Poisson algebra are revisited and certain general construction theorems of vertex Poisson algebras are given. A notion of filtered vertex algebra is formulated in terms of a notion of good filtration and it is proved that the associated graded vector space of a filtered vertex algebra is naturally a vertex Poisson algebra. For any vertex algebra $V$, a general construction and a classification of good filtra…
Herein we study conformal vectors of a Z-graded vertex algebra of (strong) CFT type. We prove that the full vertex algebra automorphism group transitively acts on the set of the conformal vectors of strong CFT type if the vertex algebra is simple. The statement is equivalent to the uniqueness of self-dual vertex operator algebra structures of a simple vertex algebra. As an application, we show that the full vertex algebra automorphism group of a simple vertex operator algebra of strong CFT type uniquely decomposes into the product of certain two subgroups and the vertex operator algebra automo…
In this paper, we study Virasoro vertex algebras and affine vertex algebras over a general field of characteristic $p>2$. More specifically, we study certain quotients of the universal Virasoro and affine vertex algebras by ideals related to the $p$-centers of the Virasoro algebra and affine Lie algebras. Among the main results, we classify their irreducible $\mathbb{N}$-graded modules by explicitly determining their Zhu algebras and show that these vertex algebras have only finitely many irreducible $\mathbb{N}$-graded modules and they are $C_2$-cofinite.
We first investigate the algebraic structure of vertex algebroids $B$ when $B$ are simple Leibniz algebras. Next, we use these vertex algebroids $B$ to construct indecomposable non-simple $C_2$-cofinite $\mathbb{N}$-graded vertex algebras $\overline{V_B}$. In addition, we classify $\mathbb{N}$-graded irreducible $\overline{V_B}$-modules and examine conformal vectors of these $\mathbb{N}$-graded vertex algebras $\overline{V_B}$.
We show that certain vertex algebras without vacuum vector may be embedded into vertex algebras. The result is a partial analogue of the simple classical fact that any rng can be embedded into a ring. A one-line proof of the case of a vacuum-free vertex algebra (whose vertex operator map is by definition injective) appeared in Robinson (2010) using a powerful result from the representation theory of vertex algebras as algebras of mutually local weak vertex operators. Here we present a more elementary proof of a somewhat more general case. We also show that our constructions are canonical.
We introduce dg Lie algebras controlling the deformations of vertex algebras and vertex Poisson algebras, utilizing the notion of operadic dg Lie algebra and the theory of chiral algebra. In terms of those dg Lie algebras, we formulate the deformation quantization problem of vertex Poisson algebras to vertex algebras.
In this paper, we study a notion of what we call vertex Leibniz algebra. This notion naturally extends that of vertex algebra without vacuum, which was previously introduced by Huang and Lepowsky. We show that every vertex algebra without vacuum can be naturally extended to a vertex algebra. On the other hand, we show that a vertex Leibniz algebra can be embedded into a vertex algebra if and only if it admits a faithful module. To each vertex Leibniz algebra we associate a vertex algebra without vacuum which is universal to the forgetful functor. Furthermore, from any Leibniz algebra $\g$ we c…
In this paper we introduce a notion of vertex Lie algebra U, in a way a "half" of vertex algebra structure sufficient to construct the corresponding local Lie algebra L(U) and a vertex algebra V(U). We show that we may consider U as a subset of V(U) which generates V(U) and that the vertex Lie algebra structure on U is induced by the vertex algebra structure on V(U). Moreover, for any vertex algebra V a given homomorphism from U to V of vertex Lie algebras extends uniquely to a homomorphism from V(U) to V of vertex algebras. In the second part of paper we study under what conditions on structu…
In present paper, some properties of Hopf action on vertex algebras will be given. We prove that $V#H$ is an $\mathcal{S}$-local vertex algebra but it is not a vertex algebra when $V$ is an $H$-module vertex algebra. In addition, we extend the $\mathcal{S}$-locality to the quantum vertex algebras.
We continue with [LY] to construct and classify graded simple twisted modules for the $\N$-graded vertex algebras constructed by Gorbounov, Malikov and Schechtman from vertex algebroids. Meanwhile we determine the full automorphism groups of those $\N$-graded vertex algebras in terms of the automorphism groups of the corresponding vertex algebroids.
We present recent progress in theory of local conformal nets which is an operator algebraic approach to study chiral conformal field theory. We emphasize representation theoretic aspects and relations to theory of vertex operator algebras which gives a different and algebraic formulation of chiral conformal field theory.
This is a paper in a series systematically to study toroidal vertex algebras. Previously, a theory of toroidal vertex algebras and modules was developed and toroidal vertex algebras were explicitly associated to toroidal Lie algebras. In this paper, we study twisted modules for toroidal vertex algebras. More specifically, we introduce a notion of twisted module for a general toroidal vertex algebra with a finite order automorphism and we give a general construction of toroidal vertex algebras and twisted modules. We then use this construction to establish a natural association of toroidal vert…
In this paper, a new construction of vertex algebras from more general vertex operators is given and a notion of quasi module for vertex algebras is introduced and studied. More specifically, a notion of quasi local subset(space) of $\Hom (W,W((x)))$ for any vector space $W$ is introduced and studied, generalizing the notion of usual locality in the most possible way, and it is proved that on any maximal quasi local subspace there exists a natural vertex algebra structure and that any quasi local subset of $\Hom (W,W((x)))$ generates a vertex algebra. Furthermore, a notion of quasi module for …
We give a notation of Krichever-Novikov vertex algebras on compact Riemann surfaces which is a bit weaker, but quite similar to vertex algebras. As example, we construct Krichever-Novikov vertex algebras of generalized Heisenberg algebras on arbitrary compact Riemann surfaces, which are reduced to be Heisenberg vertex algebra when restricted on Riemann spheres.
In this paper, we give a unified construction of vertex algebras arising from infinite-dimensional Lie algebras, including the affine Kac-Moody algebras, Virasoro algebras, Heisenberg algebras and their higher rank analogs, orbifolds and deformations. We define a notion of what we call quasi vertex Lie algebra to unify these Lie algebras. Starting from any (maximal) quasi vertex Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$, we construct a corresponding vertex Lie algebra ${\mathfrak{g}}_0$, and establish a canonical isomorphism between the category of restricted $\mathfrak{g}$-modules and that of equivariant $ϕ…
We develop a theory of toroidal vertex algebras and their modules, and we give a conceptual construction of toroidal vertex algebras and their modules. As an application, we associate toroidal vertex algebras and their modules to toroidal Lie algebras.
It is proved that for a vector space W, any set of parafermion-like vertex operators on W in a certain canonical way generates a generalized vertex algebra in the sense of [DL2] with W as a natural module. This result generalizes a result of [Li2]. As an application, generalized vertex algebras are constructed from Lepowsky-Wilson's Z-algebras of any nonzero level.
We give a summary of the theory of (weak) quantum vertex $\C((t))$-algebras and the association of quantum affine algebras with (weak) quantum vertex $\C((t))$-algebras.
Unitary vertex operator algebras are introduced and studied. It is proved that most well-known rational vertex operator algebras are unitary. The classification of unitary vertex operator algebras with central charge c less than or equal to 1 is also discussed.
Let $A$ be a finite dimensional unital commutative associative algebra and let $B$ be a finite dimensional vertex $A$-algebroid such that its Levi factor is isomorphic to $sl_2$. Under suitable conditions, we construct an indecomposable non-simple $\mathbb{N}$-graded vertex algebra $\overline{V_B}$ from the $\mathbb{N}$-graded vertex algebra $V_B$ associated with the vertex $A$-algebroid $B$. We show that this indecomposable non-simple $\mathbb{N}$-graded vertex algebra $\overline{V_B}$ is $C_2$-cofinite and has only two irreducible modules.
This paper illustrates the combinatorial approach to vertex algebra - study of vertex algebras presented by generators and relations. A necessary ingredient of this method is the notion of free vertex algebra. Borcherds \cite{bor} was the first to note that free vertex algebras do not exist in general. The reason for this is that vertex algebras do not form a variety of algebras, because the locality axiom (see sec 2 below) is not an identity. However, a certain subcategory of vertex algebras, obtained by restricting the order of locality of generators, has a universal object, which we call th…
We study the family of vertex algebras associated with vertex algebroids, constructed by Gorbounov, Malikov, and Schechtman. As the main result, we classify all the (graded) simple modules for such vertex algebras and we show that the equivalence classes of graded simple modules one-to-one correspond to the equivalence classes of simple modules for the Lie algebroids associated with the vertex algebroids. To achieve our goal, we construct and exploit a Lie algebra from a given vertex algebroid.
We study twisted modules for (weak) quantum vertex algebras and we give a conceptual construction of (weak) quantum vertex algebras and their twisted modules. As an application we construct and classify irreducible twisted modules for a certain family of quantum vertex algebras.
In this paper, we study contragredient duals and invariant bilinear forms for modular vertex algebras (in characteristic $p$). We first introduce a bialgebra $\mathcal{H}$ and we then introduce a notion of $\mathcal{H}$-module vertex algebra and a notion of $(V,\mathcal{H})$-module for an $\mathcal{H}$-module vertex algebra $V$. Then we give a modular version of Frenkel-Huang-Lepowsky's theory and study invariant bilinear forms on an $\mathcal{H}$-module vertex algebra. As the main results, we obtain an explicit description of the space of invariant bilinear forms on a general $\mathcal{H}$-mo…
