a Theory Division, CERN, CH-1211, Geneva 23, Switzerland
b Départment de Physique Théorique, Université de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
Abstract:
We show that the duality properties of Rational Conformal Field Theories follow from the defining relations and the representation theory of quantum groups. The fusion and braiding matrices are q-analogues of the 6j-symbols and the modular transformation matrices are obtained from the properties of the co-multiplication. We study in detail the Wess-Zumino-Witten models and the rational gaussian models as examples, but carry out the arguments in general. We point out the connections with the Chern-Simons approach. We give general arguments of why the general solution to the polynomial equations of Moore and Seiberg describing the duality properties of Rational Conformal Field Theories defines a Quantum Group acting on the space of conformal blocks. A direct connection between Rational Theories and knot invariants is also presented along the lines of Jones' original work.