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19 votes
1 answer
1k views

Anomaly in QFT physics v.s. determinant line bundle

In a quantum field theory (QFT) lecture, a math-physics professor explains the anomaly in physics, say the non-invariance of the partition function of an anomalous theory under background field ...
11 votes
1 answer
2k views

Vafa-Witten invariants for mathematicians

As Richard Thomas has written (we paraphrase just slightly), mathematical physicists Vafa and Witten introduced new "invariants" of four-dimensional spaces in a paper: A Strong Coupling Test of S-...
3 votes
1 answer
425 views

Derive how the level quantization for 3d quantum Chern-Simons theory path integrals?

Let us consider abelian and non-abelian 3d quantum Chern-Simons theory path integrals: abelian Chern-Simons theory on non-spin manifolds --- $$ \int [DA]\exp(i \frac{k}{2\pi} \int_X (A \wedge dA )) ...
0 votes
1 answer
280 views

Anti-symmetric operators for the Dirac or Majorana spinors

In a Zoom lecture given by a mathematical physics professor, if I recalled correctly, he explained that the in 1+1 dimensional spacetime (or 2 dimensions in short), the "action" of fermions (spinors) ...
6 votes
0 answers
392 views

Mathematics of $\mathcal{N}=2$ Gauge Theory and Instantons

Someone may suggest I post this on PhysicsSE, but I would prefer to not have a physicist answer in jargon I cannot understand. In fact, the reason I'm asking this is that I'm sort of drowning in the ...
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

Instanton Moduli Space on ALE Spaces

I asked this on MathStackExchange and was instructed it would be better here. I've recently been learning about moduli spaces of instantons on $\mathbb{C}^{2}=\mathbb{R}^{4}$. From what I can gather,...
5 votes
1 answer
613 views

Proof of the general expression for anomaly in a CFT and its partition function

I think the statement is that for any dimensional CFT the following is true, $$\langle T^{\mu}_\mu \rangle = \sum B_n I_n - 2(-1)^{d/2}AE_d,$$ where $E_d$ is the `"Euler density" and $I_n$ are the ...