Conformal Field Theory

Conformal Field Theory
Author: Philippe Francesco
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 908
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1461222567

Filling an important gap in the literature, this comprehensive text develops conformal field theory from first principles. The treatment is self-contained, pedagogical, and exhaustive, and includes a great deal of background material on quantum field theory, statistical mechanics, Lie algebras and affine Lie algebras. The many exercises, with a wide spectrum of difficulty and subjects, complement and in many cases extend the text. The text is thus not only an excellent tool for classroom teaching but also for individual study. Intended primarily for graduate students and researchers in theoretical high-energy physics, mathematical physics, condensed matter theory, statistical physics, the book will also be of interest in other areas of theoretical physics and mathematics. It will prepare the reader for original research in this very active field of theoretical and mathematical physics.

Introduction to Conformal Field Theory

Introduction to Conformal Field Theory
Author: Ralph Blumenhagen
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2009-07-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3642004504

Based on class-tested notes, this text offers an introduction to Conformal Field Theory with a special emphasis on computational techniques of relevance for String Theory. It introduces Conformal Field Theory at a basic level, Kac-Moody algebras, one-loop partition functions, Superconformal Field Theories, Gepner Models and Boundary Conformal Field Theory. Eventually, the concept of orientifold constructions is explained in detail for the example of the bosonic string. In providing many detailed CFT calculations, this book is ideal for students and scientists intending to become acquainted with CFT techniques relevant for string theory but also for students and non-specialists from related fields.

Conformal Field Theory and Topology

Conformal Field Theory and Topology
Author: Toshitake Kohno
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
Total Pages: 188
Release: 2002
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 9780821821305

Geometry and physics have been developed with a strong influence on each other. One of the most remarkable interactions between geometry and physics since 1980 has been an application of quantum field theory to topology and differential geometry. This book focuses on a relationship between two-dimensional quantum field theory and three-dimensional topology which has been studied intensively since the discovery of the Jones polynomial in the middle of the 1980s and Witten's invariantfor 3-manifolds derived from Chern-Simons gauge theory. An essential difficulty in quantum field theory comes from infinite-dimensional freedom of a system. Techniques dealing with such infinite-dimensional objects developed in the framework of quantum field theory have been influential in geometryas well. This book gives an accessible treatment for a rigorous construction of topological invariants originally defined as partition functions of fields on manifolds. The book is organized as follows: The Introduction starts from classical mechanics and explains basic background materials in quantum field theory and geometry. Chapter 1 presents conformal field theory based on the geometry of loop groups. Chapter 2 deals with the holonomy of conformal field theory. Chapter 3 treatsChern-Simons perturbation theory. The final chapter discusses topological invariants for 3-manifolds derived from Chern-Simons perturbation theory.

A Mathematical Introduction to Conformal Field Theory

A Mathematical Introduction to Conformal Field Theory
Author: Martin Schottenloher
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 153
Release: 2008-09-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3540706909

Part I gives a detailed, self-contained and mathematically rigorous exposition of classical conformal symmetry in n dimensions and its quantization in two dimensions. The conformal groups are determined and the appearence of the Virasoro algebra in the context of the quantization of two-dimensional conformal symmetry is explained via the classification of central extensions of Lie algebras and groups. Part II surveys more advanced topics of conformal field theory such as the representation theory of the Virasoro algebra, conformal symmetry within string theory, an axiomatic approach to Euclidean conformally covariant quantum field theory and a mathematical interpretation of the Verlinde formula in the context of moduli spaces of holomorphic vector bundles on a Riemann surface.

Conformal Field Theory

Conformal Field Theory
Author: Sergei V Ketov
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 502
Release: 1995-02-28
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9814502529

Conformal field theory is an elegant and powerful theory in the field of high energy physics and statistics. In fact, it can be said to be one of the greatest achievements in the development of this field. Presented in two dimensions, this book is designed for students who already have a basic knowledge of quantum mechanics, field theory and general relativity. The main idea used throughout the book is that conformal symmetry causes both classical and quantum integrability. Instead of concentrating on the numerous applications of the theory, the author puts forward a discussion of the general methods of conformal field theory as a physical theory. Hence the book provides in a self-contained way the necessary knowledge and “conformal” intuition which underline the various applications of conformal field theory. It is aimed to assist students and professionals in the study of the theory from its first principles and in applying the methods in their own research. The first of its kind, this book promises to give a detailed and comprehensive insight into the workings of conformal field theory.

EPFL Lectures on Conformal Field Theory in D ≥ 3 Dimensions

EPFL Lectures on Conformal Field Theory in D ≥ 3 Dimensions
Author: Slava Rychkov
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 81
Release: 2016-09-30
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319436260

This primer develops Conformal Field Theory (CFT) from scratch, whereby CFT is viewed as any conformally-invariant theory that describes a fixed point of a renormalization group flow in quantum field theory. The book is divided into four lectures: Lecture 1 addresses the physical foundations of conformal invariance, while Lecture 2 examines the constraints imposed by conformal symmetry on the correlation functions of local operators, presented using the so-called projective null cone – a procedure also known as the embedding formalism. In turn, Lecture 3 focuses on the radial quantization and the operator product expansion, while Lecture 4 offers a very brief introduction to the conformal bootstrap. Derived from course-based notes, these lectures are intended as a first point of entry to this topic for Master and PhD students alike.

Conformal Quantum Field Theory in D-dimensions

Conformal Quantum Field Theory in D-dimensions
Author: E.S. Fradkin
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 472
Release: 2013-03-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9401587574

Our prime concern in this book is to discuss some most interesting prosppcts that have occurred recently in conformally invariant quantum field theory in a D-diuwnsional space. One of the most promising trends is constructing an pxact solution for a cprtain class of models. This task seems to be quite feasible in the light of recent resllits. The situation here is to some extent similar to what was going on in the past ypars with the two-dimensional quantum field theory. Our investigation of conformal Ward identities in a D-dimensional space, carried out as far hack as the late H. J7Gs, showed that in the D-dimensional quantum field theory, irrespective of the type of interartion, there exists a special set of states of the field with the following property: if we rpqllire that one of these states should vanish, this determines an exact solution of 3. certain field model. These states are analogous to null-vectors which determine the minimal models in the two-dimensional field theory. On the other hand, the recent resparches supplied us with a number of indications on the existencp of an intinite-parampter algebra analogous to the Virasoro algebra in spaces of higher dimensions D 2: :~. It has also been shown that this algebra admits an operator rentral expansion. It seems to us that the above-mentioned models are field theoretical realizations of the representations of these new symmetries for D 2: ;3.

Conformal Field Theory

Conformal Field Theory
Author: Yavuz Nutku
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 342
Release: 2018-03-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 042998250X

This book provides an understanding of conformal field theory and its importance to both statistical mechanics and string theory. It introduces the Wess-Zumino-Novokov-Witten (WZNW) models and their current algebras, the affine Kac-Moody algebras.

Boundary Conformal Field Theory and the Worldsheet Approach to D-Branes

Boundary Conformal Field Theory and the Worldsheet Approach to D-Branes
Author: Andreas Recknagel
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 349
Release: 2013-11-28
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1107511801

Boundary conformal field theory is concerned with a class of two-dimensional quantum field theories which display a rich mathematical structure and have many applications ranging from string theory to condensed matter physics. In particular, the framework allows discussion of strings and branes directly at the quantum level. Written by internationally renowned experts, this comprehensive introduction to boundary conformal field theory reaches from theoretical foundations to recent developments, with an emphasis on the algebraic treatment of string backgrounds. Topics covered include basic concepts in conformal field theory with and without boundaries, the mathematical description of strings and D-branes, and the geometry of strongly curved spacetime. The book offers insights into string geometry that go beyond classical notions. Describing the theory from basic concepts, and providing numerous worked examples from conformal field theory and string theory, this reference is of interest to graduate students and researchers in physics and mathematics.