arXiv research

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 …

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…

We formulate a 4-dimensional higher gauge theoretic Chern-Simons theory. Its symmetry is encoded in a semistrict Lie 2-algebra equipped with an invariant non singular bilinear form. We analyze the gauge invariance of the theory and show that action is invariant under a higher gauge transformation up to a higher winding…

Study of $U(1)$ gauge theories on $G_2$ manifolds, including instantons and Chern-Simons.

Machine learning knot invariants with physics applications.

New model calculates Wilson surfaces in higher gauge theory.

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 …

New invariant from non-acyclic flat connections.

This is the first of a series of two technical papers devoted to the analysis of holonomy invariants in strict higher gauge theory with end applications in higher Chern--Simons theory. For a flat 2--connection, we define the 2-holonomy of surface knots of arbitrary genus and determine its covariance properties under 1-…

This is the second of a series of two technical papers devoted to the analysis of holonomy invariants in strict higher gauge theory with end applications in higher Chern--Simons theory. We provide a definition of trace over a crossed module such to yield surface knot invariants upon application to 2-holonomies. We show…

New methods reveal symmetries in Chern-Simons theory.

The worldvolume theory of coincident M5-branes is expected to contain a nonabelian 2-form/nonabelian gerbe gauge theory that is a higher analog of self-dual Yang-Mills theory. But the precise details -- in particular the global moduli / instanton / magnetic charge structure -- have remained elusive. Here we deduce from…

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 Hennings invariant for the small quantum group associated to an arbitrary simple Lie algebra at a root of unity is shown to agree with Jones- Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev invariant arising from Chern-Simons filed theory for the same Lie algebra and the same root of unity on all integer homol- ogy three-spheres, at roo…

Develops method to compute Chern-Simons potentials from higher-dimensional Pontryagin densities.

Study gauged supergravity, M5-branes, and class R theories, constraining supergravity coefficients and calculating partition functions.

Graphs with given k vertices generate an (acyclic) simplicial complex. We describe the homology of its quotient complex, formed by all connected graphs, and demonstrate its applications to the topology of braid groups, knot theory, combinatorics, and singularity theory. The multidimensional analogues of this complex ar…

We consider an open string version of the topological twist previously proposed for sigma-models with G2 target spaces. We determine the cohomology of open strings states and relate these to geometric deformations of calibrated submanifolds and to flat or anti-self-dual connections on such submanifolds. On associative …

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 formulate differential cohomology and Chern-Weil theory -- the theory of connections on fiber bundles and of gauge fields -- abstractly in the context of a certain class of higher toposes that we call "cohesive". Cocycles in this differential cohomology classify higher principal bundles equipped with cohesive struct…

This paper develops a geometric framework for Wilson surfaces in higher gauge theory.

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

In the first part of this paper, we work out a perturbative Lagrangian formulation of semistrict higher gauge theory, that avoids the subtleties of the relationship between Lie 2-groups and algebras by relying exclusively on the structure semistrict Lie 2-algebra v and its automorphism 2-group Aut(v). Gauge transformat…

Lecture notes on Lie groups and Chern-Simons theory for grad students.

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

Classifies extended Abelian Chern-Simons theories using quadratic modules.

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

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,…

I analyze the one-dimensional, cubic Schrödinger equation, with nonlinearity constructed from the current density, rather than, as is usual, from the charge density. A soliton solution is found, where the soliton moves only in one direction. Relation to higher-dimensional Chern--Simons theory is indicated. The theory i…

Study of Chern-Simons theory and link invariants using gauge fields and skein relations.

Categorifies Stokes coefficients in Chern-Simons theory models.

We show that Chern-Simons gauge theory with appropriate cutoffs is equivalent, term by term in perturbation theory, to a Fermionic theory with a nonlocal interaction term. When an additional cutoff is placed on the Fermi fields, this Fermionic theory gives rise to a convergent perturbation expansion. This leads us to c…

Chern-Simons and Reshetikhin-Turaev theories are shown equivalent for U(1) gauge group.

We consider euclidean D-branes wrapping around manifolds of exceptional holonomy in dimensions seven and eight. The resulting theory on the D-brane---that is, the dimensional reduction of 10-dimensional supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory---is a cohomological field theory which describes the topology of the moduli space o…

This work extends Chern correspondence to higher gauge theory.

We give a construction of the abelian Chern-Simons gauge theory from the point of view of a 2+1 dimensional topological quantum field theory. The definition of the quantum theory relies on geometric quantization ideas which have been previously explored in connection to the nonabelian Chern-Simons theory [JW,ADW]. We f…

In a previous paper we constructed classical spin Chern-Simons for any compact Lie group $G$: a gauge theory whose action depends on the spin structure of the 3-manifold. Here we apply geometric quantization to the classical Hamiltonian theory and investigate the formal properties of the partition function in the Lagra…

Diagrammatic method calculates knot invariant related to Chern-Simons theory.

In the late 1980s Witten used the Chern-Simons form of a connection to construct new invariants of 3-manifolds and knots, recovering in particular the Jones invariants. Since then the associated topological quantum field theory (TQFT) has served as a key example in understanding the structure of TQFTs in general. We su…

Non-trivial obstructions found for topological solitons in Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons theories.

Teichmüller TQFT is a unitary 3d topological theory whose Hilbert spaces are spanned by Liouville conformal blocks. It is related but not identical to PSL(2,R) Chern-Simons theory. To physicists, it is known in particular in the context of 3d-3d correspondence and also in the holographic description of Virasoro conform…

Chern-Simons and Reshetikhin-Turaev theories are shown equivalent.

We study refined topological string theory in the presence of orientifolds by counting second-quantized BPS states in M-theory. This leads us to propose a new integrality condition for both refined and unrefined topological strings when orientifolds are present. We define the SO(2N) refined Chern-Simons theory which co…

Geometrically constructs dilogarithm from Chern-Simons theory.

We test the 3d-3d correspondence for theories that are labelled by Lens spaces. We find a full agreement between the index of the 3d ${\cal N}=2$ "Lens space theory" $T[L(p,1)]$ and the partition function of complex Chern-Simons theory on $L(p,1)$. In particular, for $p=1$, we show how the familiar $S^3$ partition func…

Formula calculates invariant for 3-manifolds with torus boundaries.

We formulate a refinement of SU(N) Chern-Simons theory on a three-manifold via the refined topological string and the (2,0) theory on N M5 branes. The refined Chern-Simons theory is defined on any three-manifold with a semi-free circle action. We give an explicit solution of the theory, in terms of a one-parameter refi…

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…