Infinite dimensional Lie algebras in 4D conformal quantum field theory

Abstract

The concept of global conformal invariance (GCI) opens the way of applying algebraic techniques, developed in the context of 2-dimensional chiral conformal field theory, to a higher (even) dimensional space-time. In particular, a system of GCI scalar fields of conformal dimension two gives rise to a Lie algebra of harmonic bilocal fields, V_m(x,y), where the m span a finite dimensional real matrix algebra M closed under transposition. The associative algebra M is irreducible iff its commutant M' coincides with one of the three real division rings. The Lie algebra of (the modes of) the bilocal fields is in each case an infinite dimensional Lie algebra: a central extension of sp(infty,R) corresponding to the field R of reals, of u(infty,infty) associated to the field C of complex numbers, and of so*(4 infty) related to the algebra H of quaternions. They give rise to quantum field theory models with superselection sectors governed by the (global) gauge groups O(N), U(N), and U(N,H)=Sp(2N), respectively.

16 pages, with minor improvements as to appear in J. Phys. A

References in corpus (7)

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• Globally conformal invariant gauge field theory with rational correlation functions
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• Jorge A. Swieca's contributions to quantum field theory in the 60s and 70s and their relevance in present research
• Conformal field theories with infinitely many conservation laws
• The scalar glueball operator, the a-theorem, and the onset of conformality