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We present a formal but simple calculational scheme to relate the expectation value of Wilson loops in Chern-Simons theory to the Jones polynomial. We consider the exponential of the generator of homotopy transformations which produces the…
An elementary introduction to knot theory and its link to quantum field theory is presented with an intention to provide details of some basic calculations in the subject, which are not easily found in texts. Study of Chern-Simons theory…
Chern-Simons gauge theory, since its inception as a topological quantum field theory, has proved to be a rich source of understanding for knot invariants. In this work the theory is used to explore the definition of the expectation value of…
At any order, the perturbative expansion of the expectation values of Wilson lines in Chern-Simons theory gives certain integral expressions. We show that they all lead to knot invariants. Moreover these are finite type invariants whose…
The expectation value of Wilson loop operators in three-dimensional SO(N) Chern-Simons gauge theory gives a known knot invariant: the Kauffman polynomial. Here this result is derived, at the first order, via a simple variational method.…
The total twist number, which represents the first non-trivial Vassiliev knot invariant, is derived from the second order expression of the Wilson loop expectation value in the Chern-Simons theory. Using the well-known fact that the…
Chern-Simons gauge theory for compact semisimple groups is analyzed from a perturbation theory point of view. The general form of the perturbative series expansion of a Wilson line is presented in terms of the Casimir operators of the gauge…
We introduce and study the Wilson loops in a general 3D topological field theories (TFTs), and show that the expectation value of Wilson loops also gives knot invariants as in Chern-Simons theory. We study the TFTs within the…
Chern-Simons theories, which are topological quantum field theories, provide a field theoretic framework for the study of knots and links in three dimensions. These are rare examples of quantum field theories which can be exactly and…
Knot and link polynomials are topological invariants calculated from the expectation value of loop operators in topological field theories. In 3D Chern-Simons theory, these invariants can be found from crossing and braiding matrices of…
The general structure of the perturbative expansion of the vacuum expectation value of a product of Wilson-loop operators is analyzed in the context of Chern-Simons gauge theory. Wilson loops are opened into Wilson lines in order to unravel…
A brief review of the development of Chern-Simons gauge theory since its relation to knot theory was discovered in 1988 is presented. The presentation is done guided by a dictionary which relates knot theory concepts to quantum field theory…
A framework for studying knot and link invariants from any rational conformal field theory is developed. In particular, minimal models, superconformal models and $W_N$ models are studied. The invariants are related to the invariants…
We study Chern-Simons Gauge Theory in axial gauge on ${\mathbb R}^3.$ This theory has a quadratic Lagrangian and therefore expectations can be computed nonperturbatively by explicit formulas, giving an (unbounded) linear functional on a…
We analyze the perturbative series expansion of vacuum expectation values (vevs) for Wilson loop operators in Chern-Simons (CS) gauge theory in the temporal gauge $A_{0}=0$. Following J. Labastida and E. P\'erez we introduce the notion of…
Recent work on the loop representation of quantum gravity has revealed previously unsuspected connections between knot theory and quantum gravity, or more generally, 3-dimensional topology and 4-dimensional generally covariant physics. We…
We make a precision test of a recently proposed conjecture relating Chern-Simons gauge theory to topological string theory on the resolution of the conifold. First, we develop a systematic procedure to extract string amplitudes from vacuum…
We generalize the braid algebra to the case of loops with intersections. We introduce the Reidemeister moves for 4 and 6-valent vertices to have a theory of rigid vertex equivalence. By considering representations of the extended braid…
A brief summary of the development of perturbative Chern-Simons gauge theory related to the theory of knots and links is presented. Emphasis is made on the progress achieved towards the determination of a general combinatorial expression…
Invariant polynomials for torus links are obtained in the framework of the Chern-Simons topological gauge theory. The polynomials are computed as vacuum expectation values on the three-sphere of Wilson line operators representing the…