English

Relativity, Causality, Locality, Quantization and Duality in the $Sp(2M)$ Invariant Generalized Space-Time

High Energy Physics - Theory 2016-11-23 v2

Abstract

We analyze properties of the Sp(2M) conformally invariant field equations in the recently proposed generalized \halfM(M+1)\half M(M+1)-dimensional space-time \MM\M_M with matrix coordinates. It is shown that classical solutions of these field equations define a causal structure in \MM\M_M and admit a well-defined decomposition into positive and negative frequency solutions that allows consistent quantization in a positive definite Hilbert space. The effect of constraints on the localizability of fields in the generalized space-time is analyzed. Usual d-dimensional Minkowski space-time is identified with the subspace of the matrix space \MM\M_M that allows true localization of the dynamical fields. Minkowski coordinates are argued to be associated with some Clifford algebra in the matrix space \MM\M_M. The dynamics of a conformal scalar and spinor in \M2\M_2 and \M4\M_4 is shown to be equivalent, respectively, to the usual conformal field dynamics of a scalar and spinor in the 3d Minkowski space-time and the dynamics of massless fields of all spins in the 4d Minkowski space-time. An extension of the electro-magnetic duality transformations to all spins is identified with a particular generalized Lorentz transformation in \M4\M_4. The M=8 case is shown to correspond to a 6d chiral higher spin theory. The cases of M=16 (d=10) and M=32 (d=11) are discussed briefly.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.hep-th/0111119,
  title  = {Relativity, Causality, Locality, Quantization and Duality in the $Sp(2M)$ Invariant Generalized Space-Time},
  author = {M. A. Vasiliev},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:hep-th/0111119},
  year   = {2016}
}

Comments

Latex, 47 pages; Contribution to the Marinov's Memorial Volume, M.Olshanetsky and A.Vainshtein Eds, World Scientific; v2. Typos corrected, reference and acknowledgment added, clarifying remarks and one formula in section 9 added

R2 v1 2026-07-22T15:07:38.366Z