Global structures from the infrared
Michele Del Zotto, Iñaki García‐Etxebarria
Abstract
A bstract Quantum field theories with identical local dynamics can admit different choices of global structure, leading to different partition functions and spectra of extended operators. Such choices can be reformulated in terms of a topological field theory in one dimension higher, the symmetry TFT. In this paper we show that this TFT can be reconstructed from a careful analysis of the infrared Coulomb-like phases. In particular, the TFT matches between the UV and the IR. This provides a purely field theoretical counterpart of several recent results obtained via geometric engineering in various string/M/F theory setups for theories in four and five dimensions that we confirm and extend.
Topics & Concepts
PhysicsTheoretical physicsCoulombQuantum field theoryPartition function (quantum field theory)String theoryInfraredField (mathematics)Global symmetryField theory (psychology)Dimension (graph theory)Symmetry (geometry)Topological quantum field theoryString (physics)Mirror symmetryQuantumQuantum mechanicsMathematical physicsPure mathematicsSymmetry breakingGeometrySpontaneous symmetry breakingMathematicsElectronBlack Holes and Theoretical PhysicsNoncommutative and Quantum Gravity TheoriesAlgebraic structures and combinatorial models