On Odd Laplace Operators

We consider odd Laplace operators acting on densities of various weights on an odd Poisson (= Schouten) manifold M. We prove that the case of densities of weight 1/2 (half-densities) is distinguished by the existence of a unique odd Laplace operator depending only on a point of an 'orbit space' of volume forms. This includes earlier results for the odd symplectic case, where there is a canonical odd Laplacian on half-densities. The space of volume forms on M is partitioned into orbits by the action of a natural groupoid whose arrows correspond to the solutions of the quantum Batalin–Vilkovisky equations. We compare this situation with that of Riemannian and even Poisson manifolds. In particular, we show that the square of an odd Laplace operator is a Poisson vector field defining an analog of Weinstein's 'modular class'.     

A Path Integral Approach¶to the Kontsevich Quantization Formula

We give a quantum field theory interpretation of Kontsevich's deformation quantization formula for Poisson manifolds. We show that it is given by the perturbative expansion of the path integral of a simple topological bosonic open string theory. Its Batalin–Vilkovisky quantization yields a superconformal field theory. The associativity of the star product, and more generally the formality conjecture can then be understood by field theory methods. As an application, we compute the center of the deformed algebra in terms of the center of the Poisson algebra. Received: 10 March 1999 / Accepted: 30 January 2000     

Generalized Complex Manifolds and Supersymmetry

We find a worldsheet realization of generalized complex geometry, a notion introduced recently by Hitchin which interpolates between complex and symplectic manifolds. The two–dimensional model we construct is a supersymmetric relative of the Poisson sigma model used in the context of deformation quantization.     

AKSZ–BV Formalism and Courant Algebroid-Induced Topological Field Theories

We give a detailed exposition of the Alexandrov–Kontsevich–Schwarz– Zaboronsky superfield formalism using the language of graded manifolds. As a main illustrating example, to every Courant algebroid structure we associate canonically a three-dimensional topological sigma-model. Using the AKSZ formalism, we construct the Batalin–Vilkovisky master action for the model.      

Classical BV Theories on Manifolds with Boundary

In this paper we extend the classical BV framework to gauge theories on spacetime manifolds with boundary. In particular, we connect the BV construction in the bulk with the BFV construction on the boundary and we develop its extension to strata of higher codimension in the case of manifolds with corners. We present several examples including electrodynamics, Yang-Mills theory and topological field theories coming from the AKSZ construction, in particular, the Chern-Simons theory, the BF theory, and the Poisson sigma model. This paper is the first step towards developing the perturbative quantization of such theories on manifolds with boundary in a way consistent with gluing.     

Path integral quantization of the Poisson‐Sigma model

We apply the antifield quantization method of Batalin and Vilkovisky to the calculation of the path integral for the Poisson‐Sigma model in a general gauge. For a linear Poisson structure the model reduces to a nonabelian gauge theory, and we obtain the formula for the partition function of two‐dimensional Yang‐Mills theory for closed oriented two‐dimensional manifolds.     

Topological Field Theory Interpretation of String Topology

The string bracket introduced by Chas and Sullivan is reinterpreted from the point of view of topological field theories in the Batalin–Vilkovisky or BRST formalisms. Namely, topological action functionals for gauge fields (generalizing Chern–Simons and BF theories) are considered together with generalized Wilson loops. The latter generate a (Poisson or Gerstenhaber) algebra of functionals with values in the S¹-equivariant cohomology of the loop space of the manifold on which the theory is defined. It is proved that, in the case of GL(n,) with standard representation, the (Poisson or BV) bracket of two generalized Wilson loops applied to two cycles is the same as the generalized Wilson loop applied to the string bracket of the cycles. Generalizations to other groups are briefly described.     

Loop Observables for BF Theories in Any Dimension and the Cohomology of Knots

A generalization of Wilson loop observables for BF theories in any dimension is introduced within the Batalin–Vilkovisky framework. The expectation values of these observables are cohomology classes of the space of imbeddings of a circle. One of the resulting theories discussed in the Letter has only trivalent interactions and, irrespective of the actual dimension, looks like a three-dimensional Chern–Simons theory.     

Coisotropic submanifolds in Poisson geometry and branes in the Poisson sigma model

General boundary conditions (branes') for the Poisson sigma model are studied. They turn out to be labeled by coisotropic submanifolds of the given Poisson manifold. The role played by these boundary conditions both at the classical and at the perturbative quantum level is discussed. It turns out to be related at the classical level to the category of Poisson manifolds with dual pairs as morphisms and at the perturbative quantum level to the category of associative algebras (deforming algebras of functions on Poisson manifolds) with bimodules as morphisms. Possibly singular Poisson manifolds arising from reduction enter naturally into the picture and, in particular, the construction yields (under certain assumptions) their deformation quantization.     

On the geometry of the Batalin–Vilkovisky formalism

In this work it is proved that the geometry of the well-known quantization scheme of general gauge theories, the so-called Batalin–Vilkovisky formalism, is the odd Riemannian geometry. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 28–31, November, 2008.     

Quantization of Poisson Families and of Twisted Poisson Structures

We describe a deformation quantization of a modification of Poisson geometry by a closed 3-form. Under suitable conditions, it gives rise to a stack of algebras. The basic object used for this aim is a kind of families of Poisson structures given by a Maurer–Cartan equation; they are easily quantized using Kontsevich's formality theorem. We conclude with a section on quantization of complex manifolds.     

Poisson Sigma Model on the Sphere

We evaluate the path integral of the Poisson sigma model on the sphere and study the correlators of quantum observables. We argue that for the path integral to be well-defined the corresponding Poisson structure should be unimodular. The construction of the finite dimensional BV theory is presented and we argue that it is responsible for the leading semiclassical contribution. For a (twisted) generalized Kähler manifold we discuss the gauge fixed action for the Poisson sigma model. Using the localization we prove that for the holomorphic Poisson structure the semiclassical result for the correlators is indeed the full quantum result.     

The model for self-dual chiral bosons as a Hodge theory

We consider (1+1) dimensional theory for a single self-dual chiral boson as a classical model for gauge theory. Using the Batalin–Fradkin–Vilkovisky (BFV) technique, the nilpotent BRST and anti-BRST symmetry transformations for this theory have been studied. In this model other forms of nilpotent symmetry transformations like co-BRST and anti-co-BRST, which leave the gauge-fixing part of the action invariant, are also explored. We show that the nilpotent charges for these symmetry transformations satisfy the algebra of the de Rham cohomological operators in differential geometry. The Hodge decomposition theorem on compact manifold is also studied in the context of conserved charges.     

Higher-Dimensional BF Theories¶in the Batalin–Vilkovisky Formalism:¶The BV Action and Generalized Wilson Loops

This paper analyzes in detail the Batalin–Vilkovisky quantization procedure for BF theories on an n-dimensional manifold and describes a suitable superformalism to deal with the master equation and the search of observables. In particular, generalized Wilson loops for BF theories with additional polynomial B-interactions are discussed in any dimensions. The paper also contains the explicit proofs to the theorems stated in [16]. Received: 25 October 2000 / Accepted: 30 March 2001     

Conformal Hamiltonian systems

Vector fields whose flow preserves a symplectic form up to a constant, such as simple mechanical systems with friction, are called “conformal”. We develop a reduction theory for symmetric conformal Hamiltonian systems, analogous to symplectic reduction theory. This entire theory extends naturally to Poisson systems: given a symmetric conformal Poisson vector field, we show that it induces two reduced conformal Poisson vector fields, again analogous to the dual pair construction for symplectic manifolds. Conformal Poisson systems form an interesting infinite-dimensional Lie algebra of foliate vector fields. Manifolds supporting such conformal vector fields include cotangent bundles, Lie–Poisson manifolds, and their natural quotients.     

A superspace formulation of the BV action for higher derivative theories

We first analyse the anti-BRST and double BRST structures of a certain higher derivative theory that has been known to possess BRST symmetry associated with its higher derivative structure. We discuss the invariance of this theory under shift symmetry in the Batalin–Vilkovisky (BV) formalism. We show that the action for this theory can be written in a manifestly extended BRST invariant manner in superspace formalism using one Grassmann coordinate. It can also be written in a manifestly extended BRST invariant manner and on-shell manifestly extended anti-BRST invariant manner in superspace formalism using two Grassmann coordinates.     

Deformation Quantization of Algebraic Varieties

The paper is devoted to peculiarities of the deformation quantization in the algebro-geometric context. A direct application of the formality theorem to an algebraic Poisson manifold gives a canonical sheaf of categories deforming coherent sheaves. The global category is very degenerate in general. Thus, we introduce a new notion of a semiformal deformation, a replacement in algebraic geometry of an actual deformation (versus a formal one). Deformed algebras obtained by semiformal deformations are Noetherian and have polynomial growth. We propose constructions of semiformal quantizations of projective and affine algebraic Poisson manifolds satisfying certain natural geometric conditions. Projective symplectic manifolds (e.g. K3 surfaces and Abelian varieties) do not satisfy our conditions, but projective spaces with quadratic Poisson brackets and Poisson–Lie groups can be semiformally quantized.     

Deformation quantization of Heisenberg manifolds

ForM a smooth manifold equipped with a Poisson bracket, we formulate aC*-algebra framework for deformation quantization, including the possibility of invariance under a Lie group of diffeomorphisms preserving the Poisson bracket. We then show that the much-studied non-commutative tori give examples of such deformation quantizations, invariant under the usual action of ordinary tori. Going beyond this, the main results of the paper provide a construction of invariant deformation quantizations for those Poisson brackets on Heisenberg manifolds which are invariant under the action of the Heisenberg Lie group, and for various generalizations suggested by this class of examples. Interesting examples are obtained of simpleC*-algebras on which the Heisenberg group acts ergodically.This work was supported in part by National Science Foundation grant DMS 8601900     

Moment maps at the quantum level

We introduce the notion of moment maps for quantum groups acting on their module algebras. When the module algebras are quantizations of Poisson manifolds, we prove that the construction at the quantum level is a quantization of that at the semi-classical level. We also prove that the corresponding smashed product algebras are quantizations of the semi-direct product Poisson structures.Research partially supported by NSF grant DMS-89-07710     

Nambu–Dirac Structures for Lie Algebroids

The theory of Nambu–Poisson structures on manifolds is extended to the context of Lie algebroids in a natural way based on the derived bracket associated with the Lie algebroid differential. A new way of combining Nambu–Poisson structures and triangular Lie bialgebroids is described in this work. Also, we introduce the concept of a higher order Dirac structure on a Lie algebroid. This allows to describe both Nambu–Poisson structures and Dirac structures on manifolds in the same setting.