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1 vote
0 answers
60 views

String theory coset-space theories in the text book by Becker, Becker and Schwarz (BBS)

I am reading the string theory and M-theory by Becker, Becker and Schwarz (BBS). And I came across a section in chapter 3 called coset-space theories (after equation 3.58) At the beginning of this ...
Tan Tixuan's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
62 views

Symmetry generating commutator in Witten's treatment of WZW model

In 'Non-abelian Bosonization in Two Dimensions', Witten writes down the commutation relations between currents and fields of the WZW model in equation (33): \begin{equation} \bigg[\frac{1}{2\pi}\bigg(\...
Mtheorist's user avatar
  • 1,171
2 votes
0 answers
66 views

Why does Witten not include higher order quantum corrections when quantizing Poisson brackets in the WZW model?

In 'Non-abelian Bosonization in Two Dimensions', Witten argues that the Poisson brackets of the currents that generate the $G\times G$ symmetry of the WZW model give rise to a Kac-Moody algebra upon ...
Mtheorist's user avatar
  • 1,171
8 votes
0 answers
346 views

Free Field Realization of Current Algebras and its Hilbert space

I have some conceptual confusion regarding the interplay between current algebras, their free field representation and the Hilbert space generated from it. Let's sketch a simple example, $\mathfrak{...
thi's user avatar
  • 410
4 votes
1 answer
286 views

Emergence of $SU(2)\times SU(2)$ at the self-dual point in bosonic string theory

I want to understand the derivation of the equations 8.3.11 in Polchinski Vol 1. I can understand that at the self-dual point the Kaluza-Klein momentum index $n$, the winding number $w$, and the ...
user6818's user avatar
  • 4,619
2 votes
1 answer
214 views

Current operators for compactified CFTs

Intuitively I feel that if you compactified open bosonic strings on a product of $n$ circles such that each radius is fine-tuned to the self-dual point then the CFT of these $n$ world-sheet fields ...
Student's user avatar
  • 4,561
12 votes
2 answers
2k views

Geometric/Visual Interpretation of Virasoro Algebra

I've been trying to gain some intuition about Virasoro Algebras, but have failed so far. The Mathematical Definition seems to be clear (as found in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virasoro_algebra). I ...
Michael's user avatar
  • 1,233