arXiv research

New approach connects 3D Chern-Simons theory to spectral networks.

We develop the theory of Chern-Simons bundle 2-gerbes and multiplicative bundle gerbes associated to any principal $G$-bundle with connection and a class in $H^4(BG, \ZZ)$ for a compact semi-simple Lie group $G$. The Chern-Simons bundle 2-gerbe realises differential geometrically the Cheeger-Simons invariant. We apply …

The paper defines a Chern-Simons invariant for stably trivial vector bundles and uses it to obstruct conformal immersions.

We extend finite dimensional Chern-Simons theory to certain infinite dimensional principal bundles with connections, in particular to the frame bundle $FLM\to LM$ over the loop space of a Riemannian manifold $M$. Chern-Simons forms are defined roughly as in finite dimensions with the invariant polynomials replaced by a…

This paper introduces complex Chern-Simons bundles in families setting and proves their crystalline nature.

We show a relationship between Chern-Simons 1- and 3-forms and harmonic forms on a principal bundle. Doing so requires one to consider an adiabatic limit. For the 3-form case, assume that G is simple and the corresponding Chern-Weil 4-form is exact. Then, the Chern-Simons 3-form on the princpal bundle G-bundle, minus a…

Chern-Weil theory provides for each invariant polynomial on a Lie algebra g a map from g-connections to differential cocycles whose volume holonomy is the corresponding Chern-Simons theory action functional. Kotov and Strobl have observed that this naturally generalizes from Lie algebras to dg-manifolds and dg-bundles …

We compute the Chern-Simons transgressed forms of some modularly invariant characteristic forms, which are related to the elliptic genera. We study the modularity properties of these secondary characteristic forms and the relations among them. We also compute the Chern-Simons forms of some vector bundles over free loop…

We show that a flat principal bundle with compact connected structure group and its adjoint bundles of Lie groups have the same cohomology as the trivial bundle, which is done by proving they satisfy the condition for the Leray-Hirsch theorem. This information has been used to construct a cohomology class of the adjoin…

Rigorous model for 2-gerbes simplifies calculations in physics.

The paper explores flat extensions of connections and their relation to Chern-Simons invariants.

We give a generalization of the notion of a Cartan-Ehresmann connection from Lie algebras to L-infinity algebras and use it to study the obstruction theory of lifts through higher String-like extensions of Lie algebras. We find (generalized) Chern-Simons and BF-theory functionals this way and describe aspects of their …

We consider dimensional reduction of gauge theories with arbitrary gauge group in a formalism based on equivariant principal bundles. For the classical gauge groups we clarify the relations between equivariant principal bundles and quiver bundles, and show that the reduced quiver gauge theories are all generically buil…

The paper explores the connection between 3d gravity and Chern-Simons theory using affine group connections.

Arithmetic Dijkgraaf-Witten theory constructs analogues in Chern-Simons TQFT.

We present a formula for the full Cheeger-Chern-Simons class of the tautological flat complex vector bundle of rank two over BSL(2,\C^δ). Our formula improves the formula by Dupont and Zickert, where the class is only computed modulo 2-torsion.

Adjusting conventional Chern-Simons theory to ${\rm G}_2$-manifolds, one describes ${\rm G}_2$-instantons on bundles over a certain class of $7$-dimensional flat tori which fiber non-trivially over $T^4$, by a pullback argument. Moreover, if $c_2\neq0$, any (generic) deformation of the ${\rm G}_2$-structure away from s…

We present a finite-dimensional and smooth formulation of string structures on spin bundles. It uses trivializations of the Chern-Simons 2-gerbe associated to this bundle. Our formulation is particularly suitable to deal with string connections: it enables us to prove that every string structure admits a string connect…

We consider Chern-Simons theory on 3-manifold $M$ that is the total space of a circle bundle over a 2d base $Σ$. We show that this theory is equivalent to a new 2d TQFT on the base, which we call Caloron BF theory, that can be obtained by an appropriate type of push-forward. This is a gauge theory on a bundle with stru…

We reconsider Chern-Simons gauge theory on a Seifert manifold M, which is the total space of a nontrivial circle bundle over a Riemann surface, possibly with orbifold points. As shown in previous work with Witten, the path integral technique of non-abelian localization can be used to express the partition function of C…

The proper action functional of (4k+3)-dimensional U(1)-Chern-Simons theory including the instanton sectors has a well known description: it is given on the moduli space of fields by the fiber integration of the cup product square of classes in degree-(2k+2) differential cohomology. We first refine this statement from …

In this paper we introduce an equivariant extension of the Chern-Simons form, associated to a path of connections on a bundle over a manifold M, to the free loop space LM, and show it determines an equivalence relation on the set of connections on a bundle. We use this to define a ring, loop differential K-theory of M,…

We study Chern-Simons theory on 3-manifolds M that are circle-bundles over 2-dimensional orbifolds S by the method of Abelianisation. This method, which completely sidesteps the issue of having to integrate over the moduli space of non-Abelian flat connections, reduces the complete partition function of the non-Abelian…

Multiplicative bundle gerbes are gerbes over a Lie group which are compatible with the group structure. In this article connections on such bundle gerbes are introduced and studied. It is shown that multiplicative bundle gerbes with connection furnish geometrical constructions of the following objects: smooth central e…

Let M be a U(1) bundle over a smooth Riemann surface. I show that for Chern-Simons theory on M, with structure group G, the path integral is an integral over the space of G-connections on the Riemann surface involving characteristic classes as well as a certain 4-dimensional class that comes from a universal bundle. Wh…

We show that the R/Z part of the analytically defined eta invariant of Atiyah-Patodi-Singer for a Dirac operator on an odd dimensional closed spin manifold can be expressed purely geometrically through a stable Chern-Simons current on a higher dimensional sphere. As a preliminary application, we discuss the relation wi…

The notion of a gerbe with connection is conveniently reformulated in terms of the simplicial deRham complex. In particular the usual Chern-Weil and Chern-Simons theory is well adapted to this framework and rather easily gives rise to `characteristic gerbes' associated to families of bundles and connections. In turn th…

We study S-dualities in analytically continued SL(2) Chern-Simons theory on a 3-manifold M. By realizing Chern-Simons theory via a compactification of a 6d five-brane theory on M, various objects and symmetries in Chern-Simons theory become related to objects and operations in dual 2d, 3d, and 4d theories. For example,…

From a certain strongly equivariant bundle gerbe with connection and curving over a smooth manifold on which a Lie group acts, we construct under some conditions a bundle gerbe with connection and curving over the quotient space. In general, the construction requires a choice, and we can consequently obtain distinct st…

The first part of this text is a gentle exposition of some basic constructions and results in the extended prequantum theory of Chern-Simons-type gauge field theories. We explain in some detail how the action functional of ordinary 3d Chern-Simons theory is naturally localized ("extended", "multi-tiered") to a map on t…

In this note, we report on a work jointly done with C. Simpson on a generalization of Reznikov's theorem which says that the Chern-Simons classes and in particular the Deligne Chern classes (in degrees $> 1$) are torsion, of a flat vector bundle on a smooth complex projective variety. We consider the case of a smooth q…

Formula derived for enclosed volume of CMC surfaces in 3-sphere.

The paper provides formulas linking knot invariants to deformation quantization.

We study complex Chern-Simons theory on a Seifert manifold $M_3$ by embedding it into string theory. We show that complex Chern-Simons theory on $M_3$ is equivalent to a topologically twisted supersymmetric theory and its partition function can be naturally regularized by turning on a mass parameter. We find that the d…

Let $π\colon P\to M$ be a principal bundle and $p$ an invariant polynomial of degree r on the Lie algebra of the structure group. The theory of Chern-Simons differential characters is exploited to define an homology map $χ^{k} : H_{2r-k-1}(M)\times H_{k}(\mathcal{F}/\mathcal{G})\to \mathbb{R}/\mathbb{Z}$, for $k<r-1$, …

Study SO(3)-knot states for torus complements, linking to simplicial volume.

Let $X$ be a non-compact geometrically finite hyperbolic 3-manifold without cusps of rank 1. The deformation space $\mc{H}$ of $X$ can be identified with the Teichmüller space $\mc{T}$ of the conformal boundary of $X$ as the graph of a section in $T^*\mc{T}$. We construct a Hermitian holomorphic line bundle $\mc{L}$ on…

The purpose of this paper is to give a proof of the real part of the Riemann-Roch-Grothendieck theorem for complex flat vector bundles at the differential form level in the even dimensional fiber case. The proof is, roughly speaking, an application of the local family index theorem for a perturbed twisted spin Dirac op…

We give a direct calculation of the curvature of the Hitchin connection, in geometric quantization on a symplectic manifold, using only differential geometric techniques. In particular, we establish that the curvature acts as a first-order operator on the quantum spaces. Projective flatness follows if the Kähler struct…

This paper extends complex Cartan geometry results to noncompact and non-Kähler manifolds.

Let $E$ be a principle bundle over a compact manifold $M$ with compact structural group $G$. For any $G$-invariant polynomial $P$, The transgressive forms $TP(ω)$ defined by Chern and Simons are shown to extend to forms $ΦP(ω)$ on associated bundles $B$ with fiber a quotient $F=G/H$ of the group. These forms satisfy a …

Chern-Weil and Chern-Simons theory extend to certain infinite-rank bundles that appear in mathematical physics. We discuss what is known of the invariant theory of the corresponding infinite-dimensional Lie groups. We use these techniques to detect cohomology classes for spaces of maps between manifolds and for diffeom…

We introduce a symplectic structure on the space of connections in a G-principal bundle over a four-manifold and the Hamiltonian action on it of the group of gauge transformations which are trivial on the boundary. The symplectic reduction becomes the moduli space of flat connections over the manifold. On the moduli sp…

We study the generating functional, the adiabatic curvature and the adiabatic phase for the integer quantum Hall effect (QHE) on a compact Riemann surface. For the generating functional we derive its asymptotic expansion for the large flux of the magnetic field, i.e., for the large degree $k$ of the positive Hermitian …

We show how characteristic classes determine equivariant prequantization bundles over the space of connections on a principal bundle. These bundles are shown to generalize the Chern-Simons line bundles to arbitrary dimensions. Our result applies to arbitrary bundles, and it is studied the action of both the gauge group…

The caloron correspondence is a tool that gives an equivalence between principal $G$-bundles based over the manifold $M \times S^1$ and principal $LG$-bundles on $M$, where $LG$ is the Fréchet Lie group of smooth loops in the Lie group $G$. This thesis uses the caloron correspondence to construct certain differential f…

Deformed holomorphic Chern-Simons theory yields new instantons.

In this paper, by using the regulator map of Beilinson-Deligne on a curve, we show that the quantization condition posed by Gukov is true for the SL_2(C) character variety of the hyperbolic knot in S^3. Furthermore, we prove that the corresponding $\mathbb{C}^{*}$-valued closed 1-form is a secondary characteristic clas…