English

Abelian Duality for Generalised Maxwell Theories

Quantum Algebra 2021-10-29 v2

Abstract

We describe a construction of generalized Maxwell theories -- higher analogues of abelian gauge theories -- in the factorization algebra formalism of Costello and Gwilliam, allowing for analysis of the structure of local observables. We describe the phenomenon of abelian duality for local observables in these theories as a form of Fourier duality, relating observables in theories with dual abelian gauge groups and inverted coupling constants in a way compatible with the local structure. We give a description of expectation values in this theory and prove that duality preserves expectation values. Duality is shown to, for instance, interchange higher analogues of Wilson and 't Hooft operators.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1402.0890,
  title  = {Abelian Duality for Generalised Maxwell Theories},
  author = {Chris Elliott},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1402.0890},
  year   = {2021}
}

Comments

30 pages, 4 figures. Updated version to appear in Mathematical Physics, Analysis and Geometry

R2 v1 2026-06-22T03:01:29.411Z