Revisiting the Computation of Cohomology Classes of the Witt Algebra Using Conformal Field Theory and Aspects of Conformal Algebra

• 作者: Jacksyn Bakeberg Parthasarathi Nag
• 来源期刊: 应用数学与应用物理(英文)
• 学科: 数学
• 关键词: CONFORMAL Field Theory CONFORMAL ALGEBRA Witt ALGEBRA Central EXTENSION VIRASORO ALGEBRA
• 年，卷（期）: 2019,（3）
• 页码范围: 567-590
• 页数: 24页
• 分类号: O1

摘要

In this article, we revisit some aspects of the computation of the cohomology class of H2 (Witt, C)?using some methods in two-dimensional conformal field theory and conformal algebra to obtain the one-dimensional central extension of the Witt algebra to the Virasoro algebra. Even though this is well-known in the context of standard mathematical physics literature, the operator product expansion of the energy-momentum tensor in two-dimensional conformal field theory is presented almost axiomatically. In this paper, we attempt to reformulate it with the help of a suitable modification of conformal algebra (as developed by V. Kac), and apply it to compute the representative element of the cohomology class which gives the desired central extension. This paper was written in the scope of an undergraduate’s exploration of conformal field theory and to gain insight on the subject from a mathematical perspective.