Related papers: On the geometry of ghosts
We analyze to all perturbative orders the properties of two possible quantum extensions of classically on-shell equivalent antisymmetric tensor gauge models in four dimensions. The first case, related to the soft breaking of a topological…
A structural explanation of the coupling constants in the standard model, i.e the fine structure constant and the Weinberg angle, and of the gauge fixing contributions is given in terms of symmetries and representation theory. The coupling…
We develop a geometrical structure of the manifolds $\Gamma$ and $\hat\Gamma$ associated respectively to the gauge symmetry and to the BRST symmetry. Then, we show that ($\hat\Gamma,\hat\zeta,\Gamma$), where $\hat\zeta$ is the group of BRST…
We model spherically symmetric black holes within the group field theory formalism for quantum gravity via generalised condensate states, involving sums over arbitrarily refined graphs (dual to 3d triangulations). The construction relies…
We observe and study new non-linear global space-time symmetries of the full ghost+matter action of RNS superstring theory. We show that these surprising new symmetries are generated by the special worldsheet currents (vertex operators) of…
We consider in detail an approach (proposed by the author earlier) where quantum states are described by elements of a linear space over a Galois field, and operators of physical quantities - by linear operators in this space. The notion of…
The quantization of the Brink-Schwarz-Casalbuoni superparticle is performed in an explicitly covariant way using the antibracket formalism. Since an infinite number of ghost fields are required, within a suitable off-shell twistor-like…
A superspace formulation is proposed for the osp(1,2)-covariant Lagrangian quantization of general massive gauge theories. The superalgebra os0(1,2) is considered as subalgebra of sl(1,2); the latter may be considered as the algebra of…
The space of states and operators for a large class of background independent theories of quantum spacetime dynamics is defined. The SU(2) spin networks of quantum general relativity are replaced by labelled compact two-dimensional…
In perturbative quantum gravity, the sum of the classical Lagrangian density, a gauge fixing term and a ghost term is invariant under two sets of supersymmetric transformations called the BRST and the anti-BRST transformations. In this…
We illustrate the various ways in which the algebraic framework of noncommutative geometry naturally captures the short-distance spacetime properties of string theory. We describe the noncommutative spacetime constructed from a vertex…
We propose a distinction between the physical and the mathematical parts of gauge field theories. The main problem we face is to uphold a strong and meaningful criterion of what is physical. We like to call it "Field's dilemma", referring…
We investigate the Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) formalism for gauge theories on spherically symmetric black hole spacetimes, with or without a cosmological constant ($\Lambda\geq0$). This is illustrated through the example of scalar…
We present several forms in which the BRST transformations of QCD in covariant gauges can be cast. They can be non-local and even not manifestly covariant. These transformations may be obtained in the path integral formalism by non standard…
We introduce the concept of a quantum background and a functor QFT. In the case that the QFT moduli space is smooth formal, we construct a flat quantum superconnection on a bundle over QFT which defines algebraic structures relevant to…
We describe how physical universes that are composed of gauge and gravitationally interacting bosonic and fermionic quantum fields arise from the generic discrete distribution of many quantifiable properties of arbitrary static entities.…
Basing on the canonical quantization of a BRS invariant Lagrangian, we construct holomorphic representation of path integrals for Faddeev-Popov(FP) ghosts as well as for unphysical degrees of the gauge field from covariant operator…
We introduce simple and more advanced concepts that have played a key role in the development of supersymmetric systems. This is done by first describing various supersymmetric quantum mechanics models. Topics covered include the basic…
In gauge theories, physical histories are represented by space-time connections modulo gauge transformations. The space of histories is thus intrinsically non-linear. The standard framework of constructive quantum field theory has to be…
The U-dualities of maximally supersymmetric supergravity theories lead to celebrated non-perturbative constraints on the structure of quantum gravity. They can also lead to the presence of global symmetries since manifolds equipped with…