Geometric quantization of the BRST charge

In the first half of this paper (Sects. 1–4) we generalise the standard geometric quantization procedure to symplectic supermanifolds. In the second half (Sects. 5, 6) we apply this to two examples that exhibit classical BRST symmetry, i.e., we quantize the BRST charge and the ghost number. More precisely, in the first example we consider the reduced symplectic manifold obtained by symplectic reduction from a free group action with Ad^*-equivariant moment map; in the second example we consider a foliated configuration space, whose cotangent bundle admits the construction of a BRST charge associated to this foliation. We show that the classical BRST symmetry can be described in terms of a hamiltonian supergroup action on the extended phase space, and that geometric quantization gives us a super-unitary representation of this supergroup. Finally we point out how these results are related to reduction at the quantum level, as compared with the reduction at the classical level.Research supported by the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO)     

BRST quantization of the superparticle

We show that the quantization of the superparticle action is possible. This is done by shifts in the BRST operator and the resulting action has an infinite number of ghosts. The total BRST operator is given by an infinite sum and is shown to be nilpotent. We also obtain a BRST invariant kinetic operator that contains the dynamical, auxiliary and gauge pieces in it.     

Semi-Classical Properties of Geometric Quantization with Metaplectic Correction

The geometric quantization of a symplectic manifold endowed with a prequantum bundle and a metaplectic structure is defined by means of an integrable complex structure. We prove that its semi-classical limit does not depend on the choice of the complex structure. We show this in two ways. First, by introducing unitary identifications between the quantum spaces associated to the various complex polarizations and second, by defining an asymptotically flat connection in the bundle of quantum spaces over the space of complex structures. Furthermore Berezin-Toeplitz operators are intertwined by these identifications and have principal and subprincipal symbols defined independently of the complex structure. The relation with the Schrödinger equation and the group of prequantum bundle automorphisms is considered as well.     

Topological field theories,Nicolai maps and BRST quantization

We establish a connection between topological field theories, Nicolai maps, BRST quantization and Langevin equations. In particular we show that there is a one-to-one correspondence between global unbroken supersymmetric theories which admit a Nicolai map and theories which arise as the BRST quantization of the square of the Langevin equation, setting the random field to zero. As such they are topological in nature. As an example we consider the topological quantum field theory of Witten in the Labastida-Pernici form and show that it is the first example of a theory admitting a complete Nicolai map in four dimensions. We also consider the topological sigma models of Witten and show that they too arise from the BRST quantization of the square of the Langevin equation.     

A Lefschetz fixed point formula for symplectomorphisms

Consider a compact Kähler manifold endowed with a prequantum bundle. Following the geometric quantization scheme, the associated quantum spaces are the spaces of holomorphic sections of the tensor powers of the prequantum bundle. In this paper we construct an asymptotic representation of the prequantum bundle automorphism group in these quantum spaces. We estimate the characters of these representations under some transversality assumption. The formula obtained generalizes in some sense the Lefschetz fixed point formula for the automorphisms of the prequantum bundle preserving its holomorphic structure. Our results will be applied in two forthcoming papers to the quantum representation of the mapping class group.     

BRST Cohomology and Phase Space Reduction in Deformation Quantization

In this article we consider quantum phase space reduction when zero is a regular value of the momentum map. By analogy with the classical case we define the BRST cohomology in the framework of deformation quantization. We compute the quantum BRST cohomology in terms of a "quantum" Chevalley-Eilenberg cohomology of the Lie algebra on the constraint surface. To prove this result, we construct an explicit chain homotopy, both in the classical and quantum case, which is constructed out of a prolongation of functions on the constraint surface. We have observed the phenomenon that the quantum BRST cohomology cannot always be used for quantum reduction, because generally its zero part is no longer a deformation of the space of all smooth functions on the reduced phase space. But in case the group action is "sufficiently nice", e.g. proper (which is the case for all compact Lie group actions), it is shown for a strongly invariant star product that the BRST procedure always induces a star product on the reduced phase space in a rather explicit and natural way. Simple examples and counterexamples are discussed.     

Investigation of the vacuum structure of the Georgi-Glashow model on the lattice

In this paper the BKS kernels of BRST bosonic strings are given. And from the kernels the relationships between geometric quantization and path integral quantization of bosonic strings with BRST symmetry are established. At the classical level, we also prove that the symplectic form in the phase space of bosonic strings is BRST invariant and nondegenerate.     

Extended Connection in Yang-Mills Theory

The three fundamental geometric components of Yang-Mills theory –gauge field, gauge fixing and ghost field– are unified in a new object: an extended connection in a properly chosen principal fiber bundle. To do this, it is necessary to generalize the notion of gauge fixing by using a gauge fixing connection instead of a section. From the equations for the extended connection’s curvature, we derive the relevant BRST transformations without imposing the usual horizontality conditions. We show that the gauge field’s standard BRST transformation is only valid in a local trivialization and we obtain the corresponding global generalization. By using the Faddeev-Popov method, we apply the generalized gauge fixing to the path integral quantization of Yang-Mills theory. We show that the proposed gauge fixing can be used even in the presence of a Gribov’s obstruction.     

BRST Extension of Geometric Quantization

Consider a physical system for which a mathematically rigorous geometric quantization procedure exists. Now subject the system to a finite set of irreducible first class (bosonic) constraints. It is shown that there is a mathematically rigorous BRST quantization of the constrained system whose cohomology at ghost number zero recovers the constrained quantum states. Moreover this space of constrained states has a well-defined Hilbert space structure inherited from that of the original system. Treatments of these ideas in the physics literature are more general but suffer from having states with infinite or zero "norms" and thus are not admissible as states. Also BRST operators for many systems require regularization to be well-defined. In our more restricted context, we show that our treatment does not suffer from any of these difficulties.     

Geometric algebra and star products on the phase space

Superanalysis can be deformed with a fermionic star product into a Clifford calculus that is equivalent to geometric algebra. With this multivector formalism it is then possible to formulate Riemannian geometry and an inhomogeneous generalization of exterior calculus. Moreover, it is shown here how symplectic and Poisson geometry fit in this context. The application of this formalism together with the bosonic star product formalism of deformation quantization leads then on space and space-time to a natural appearance of spin structures and on phase space to BRST structures that were found in the path integral formulation of classical mechanics. Furthermore it will be shown that Poincaré and Lie-Poisson reduction can be formulated in this formalism.     

BRST quantization of the string model with extrinsic curvature

The string model proposed by Polyakov is investigated as a two-dimensional field theory with higher-order derivatives. We reduce the model lagrangian to a simple useful form and achieve the BRST quantization. We show the nilpotence of the BRST charge under certain conditions, and discuss the unitarity of the theory.     

SYMPLECTIC STRUCTURES AND QUANTIZATION FOR BOSONIC STRINGS IN BRST FORMALISM

The sympletic structures for bosonic strings are given by the method restricting J^'Y to its Lagrangian submanifold and geometric quantization in BRST formulation for strings is discussed.It is found that conformal anomaly is cancelled when curvature of BRST vacuum bundle on G₀=G₀/H vanishes.     

BRST quantization of superstring field theory

We write the gauge fixed action which arises in the quantization of Witten's string field theory in a linear gauge, in a form which applies to both the superstring and the bosonic string. The corresponding BRST transformation is nilpotent only on-shell. We construct also an off-shell nilpotent BRST transformation which formally leaves invariant the quantum effective action. This BRST transformation has a geometrical interpretation which could allow to describe the gauge anomalies of the superstring field theory as the nontrivial cohomology of the BRST charge via the Wess-Zumino consistency condition.     

Non-Abelian Reduction in Deformation Quantization

We consider a G-invariant star-product algebra A on a symplectic manifold (M,) obtained by a canonical construction of deformation quantization. Under assumptions of the classical Marsden–Weinstein Theorem we define a reduction of the algebra A with respect to the G-action. The reduced algebra turns out to be isomorphic to a canonical star-product algebra on the reduced phase space B. In other words, we show that the reduction commutes with the canonical G-invariant deformation quantization. A similar statement within the framework of geometric quantization is known as the Guillemin–Sternberg conjecture (by now, completely proved).     

On the geometric prequantization of Maxwell equations

The geometric prequantization of Maxwell equations in a vacuum is described and its relation with geometric prequantization of the extended phase space is pointed out.     

BRST structures and symplectic geometry on a class of supermanifolds

By investigating the symplectic geometry and geometric quantization of a class of supermanifolds, we exhibit BRST structures for a certain kind of algebras. We discuss the undeformed andq-deformed cases in the classical as well as in the quantum cases.Alexander von Humboldt fellow. On leave from Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing.     

Homological stabilizer codes

In this paper we define homological stabilizer codes on qubits which encompass codes such as Kitaev’s toric code and the topological color codes. These codes are defined solely by the graphs they reside on. This feature allows us to use properties of topological graph theory to determine the graphs which are suitable as homological stabilizer codes. We then show that all toric codes are equivalent to homological stabilizer codes on 4-valent graphs. We show that the topological color codes and toric codes correspond to two distinct classes of graphs. We define the notion of label set equivalencies and show that under a small set of constraints the only homological stabilizer codes without local logical operators are equivalent to Kitaev’s toric code or to the topological color codes.     

Symplectic geometry and geometric quantization on supermanifold withU numbers

The usual theory of supermanifold is extended to the case that contains (anti)commuting variable pairs with oppositeU numbers. The symplectic geometry and geometric quantization on such a special manifold are discussed in detail. As applications, the BRST system with finite dimensional first class constraints and bosonic strings are investigated systematically.     

On the reduced phase space of a cotangent bundle

The geometric prequantization of a reduced phase space of a cotangent bundle is described and its relation with the geometric prequantization of the cotangent bundle is pointed out.     

On the Existence of Star Products on Quotient Spaces of Linear Hamiltonian Torus Actions

We discuss BFV deformation quantization (Bordemann et al. in A homological approach to singular reduction in deformation quantization, singularity theory, pp. 443–461. World Scientific, Hackensack, 2007) in the special case of a linear Hamiltonian torus action. In particular, we show that the Koszul complex on the moment map of an effective linear Hamiltonian torus action is acyclic. We rephrase the nonpositivity condition of Arms and Gotay (Adv Math 79(1):43–103, 1990) for linear Hamiltonian torus actions. It follows that reduced spaces of such actions admit continuous star products.