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Mathematical methods in classical mechanics, classical and quantum field theory, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, condensed matter, nuclear and atomic physics.

111 votes
Accepted

Does Physics need non-analytic smooth functions?

As a physicist "in nature" perhaps I can give a few examples that illustrate how non-analytic functions can appear in physics and counter the idea that physicists do not worry about the justification …
Jeff Harvey's user avatar
  • 5,546
41 votes

Examples of non-rigorous but efficient mathematical methods in physics

Perhaps it would not be out of place to quote Miles Reid's Bourbaki seminar on the McKay correspondence here: "The physicists want to do path integrals, that is, they want to integrate some "Action M …
39 votes

Mathematician trying to learn string theory

Many string theorists would like to know more algebraic geometry. There are a few of us who know algebraic geometry at a pretty high level (not me) but many more who would like to learn more and feel …
20 votes

What makes four dimensions special?

$4=11-7$ and $11$ is the maximal dimension for supersymmetry with spins $\le 2$ while $7$ is the first dimension in which there exist compact manifolds of exceptional holonomy.
19 votes

What is the motivation for a vertex algebra?

The answers here have focused on the mathematical aspects of VOAs and the motivation coming from QFT, the specialization to Conformal Field Theory, and then the further specialization to two-dimension …
Jeff Harvey's user avatar
  • 5,546
14 votes

String theory "computation" for math undergrad audience

I agree that computing partition functions has many pretty applications. My favorite is the use of Jacobi's abstruse identity between theta functions, $\theta_3^4-\theta_4^4=\theta_2^4$, to show the …
Jeff Harvey's user avatar
  • 5,546
10 votes
Accepted

The use of Hall algebras in physics

In supersymmetric field theories and string theories there are special states called BPS states which are annihilated by some of the supercharges and whose mass is determined in terms of their charges …
Jeff Harvey's user avatar
  • 5,546
9 votes
Accepted

Dimensional regularization in odd dimensions

There a number of papers by Alain Connes on Dimensional Regularization (Dim Reg) in the context of noncommutative field theory. Some of his papers cite P. Breitenlohner and D. Maison, "Dimensional re …
Jeff Harvey's user avatar
  • 5,546
9 votes

What do correlation functions compute in CFT?

I'm not sure exactly what kind of information you want, and CFT is an enormous subject, but here is some information on the physical interpretation of the complex coordinates and correlation functions …
Jeff Harvey's user avatar
  • 5,546
8 votes

mirror symmetry with algebraic geometry?

Part of the physics motivation for mirror symmetry involves properties of the chiral ring of N=2 superconformal field theories. Some of these have a description in terms of the polynomials appearing i …
Jeff Harvey's user avatar
  • 5,546
8 votes

Is there a relation between 4-dimensional general relativity and exotic smooth structures on...

Regarding the first part of this question, in four spacetime dimensions there are no known generic violations of the cosmic censorship hypothesis while above four dimensions there is good evidence tha …
Jeff Harvey's user avatar
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8 votes

Number theory and physics

The rational numbers $\mathbb{Q}$ are central to number theory, so I think it would be reasonable to claim a connection between number theory and ``real” physics if there were a physical system with p …
Jeff Harvey's user avatar
  • 5,546
7 votes

The proof that a vertex algebra can lead to a Wightman QFT

You might find "An Introduction to Conformal Field Theory" by M. Gaberdiel (arXiv:hep-th/9910156v2) useful. He has a brief discussion of how in some cases chiral algebras can be assembled into Conform …
Jeff Harvey's user avatar
  • 5,546
7 votes
Accepted

Relation between TQFT and Wilson lines, boundary conditions, surface defects etc

Greg Moore recently gave the Felix Klein lectures and a draft of notes for his lectures is available at http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~gmoore/FelixKleinLectureNotes.pdf You will find in the first …
Jeff Harvey's user avatar
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6 votes

Higgs mechanism from a deformation quantization point of view

The Higgs mechanism in the Standard Model doesn't have much to do with deformation quantization as other people have explained. However there is a version of the Higgs mechanism in string theory which …
Jeff Harvey's user avatar
  • 5,546

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