Mathematical Physics

I will explain how to axiomatize the notion of a chiral WZW model using the formalism of VOAs (vertex operator algebras). This class of models is in almost bijective correspondence with pairs (G,k), where G is a connected (not necessarily simply connected) Lie group and k in H^4(BG,Z) is a degree four cohomology class subject to a certain positivity condition. To my surprise, I have found a couple extra models which satisfy all the defining properties of chiral WZW models, but which don't come from pairs (G,k) as above. The simplest such model is the simple current extension of the affine VOA E8xE8 at level (2,2) by the group Z/2. Thus from a quantum perspective, the Lie group E8 x E8 behaves as if it had a non-trivial center.

It is interesting to note that, unlike Chern–Simons theories whose gauge group can be disconnected, the gauge group of a chiral WZW model is necessarily connected. This raises the question of what is the chiral WZW model associated to a disconnected gauge group? Whatever the answer turns out to be, mathematicians will probably need to enlarge the class of objects that they agree to call ‘chiral conformal field theories’ in order to accommodate these yet to be defined models.

I will present some speculations on the matter.

This is a joint work with A.Kuznetsov and L.Rybnikov.

We study a moduli problem on a nodal curve of arithmetic genus 1, whose solution is an open subscheme in the zastava space for projective line. This moduli space is equipped with a natural Poisson structure, and we compute it in a natural coordinate system. We compare this Poisson structure with the trigonometric Poisson structure on the transversal slices in an affine flag variety.

We conjecture that certain generalized minors give rise to a cluster structure on the trigonometric zastava.

We will discuss a (conjectural) explicit presentation for the equivariant cohomology of Nakajima quiver varieties of type ADE.  This presentation arises as a shadow of the expected symplectic duality between slices to Schubert varieties in the affine Grassmannian and Nakajima quiver varieties (a.k.a. the expected Coulomb and Higgs branches for a quiver gauge theory). 

Categorical symplectic geometry studies an invariant of symplectic manifolds called the "Fukaya (A-infinity) category", which consists of the Lagrangian submanifolds and a symplectically-robust intersection theory of these Lagrangians.  Over the last two decades the Fukaya category has emerged as a powerful tool: for instance, it has produced inroads to Arnol'd's Nearby Lagrangians Conjecture, and it allowed Kontsevich to formulate the the Homological Mirror Symmetry conjecture.

In this talk I will describe a project, joint with Satyan Devadoss, Stefan Forcey, and Katrin Wehrheim, which attempts to relate the Fukaya categories of different symplectic manifolds via a notion of functoriality.  After mentioning some analytic results about the singular quilts necessary for this construction, I will describe the combinatorial component: with Devadoss and Forcey we are constructing a family of polytopes that specialize to the associahedra in two different ways, and can be thought of as the 2-categorical version of associahedra.

Let $S$ be a surface, $G$ a semi-simple group of type B, C or D. I will explain why the moduli space of framed local systems $A_{G,S}$ defined by Fock and Goncharov has the structure of a cluster variety, and fits inside a larger structure called a cluster ensemble. This was previously known only in type A. This gives a more direct proof of results of Fock and Goncharov for the symplectic and spin groups, and also allows one to quantize higher Teichmuller space in these cases. If time permits, I hope to talk about applications to counting tensor invariants of finite dimensional representations of these groups.

I will review the possible role in Geometric Langlands
of N=4 boundary conditions in four-dimensional supersymmetric Yang Mills theory.
The action of S-duality on such boundary conditions can be understood
in terms of symplectic duality.