Related papers: On flat connections with non-diagonalizable holono…
We prove that the fundamental group of any integer homology 3-sphere different from the 3-sphere admits irreducible representations of its fundamental group in SL(2,C). For hyperbolic integer homology spheres this comes with the definition,…
Supersymmetric domain-wall spacetimes that lift to Ricci-flat solutions of M-theory admit generalized Heisenberg (2-step nilpotent) isometry groups. These metrics may be obtained from known cohomogeneity one metrics of special holonomy by…
Let $N(\Gamma,G)$ be the number of homomorphisms from $\Gamma$ to $G$ up to conjugation by $G$. Physics of four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=4$ supersymmetric gauge theories predicts that $N(\Gamma,G)=N(\Gamma , \tilde G)$ when $\Gamma$ is a…
We consider the topological theory of Witten type for gauge differential p-forms. It is shown that some topological invariants such as linking numbers appear under quantization of this theory. The non-abelian generalization of the model is…
The Witten $r$-spin class defines a non-semisimple cohomological field theory. Pandharipande, Pixton and Zvonkine studied two special shifts of the Witten class along two semisimple directions of the associated Dubrovin--Frobenius manifold…
We review the Kohno-Drinfeld theorem as well as a conjectural analogue relating quantum Weyl groups to the monodromy of a flat connection D on the Cartan subalgebra of a complex, semi-simple Lie algebra g with poles on the root hyperplanes…
Starting from the superconformal algebras associated with $G_2$ manifolds, I extend the algebra to the manifolds with spin(7) holonomy. I show how the mirror symmetry in manifolds with spin(7) holonomy arises as the automorphism in the…
Witten established correspondence between multiparton amplitudes in four-dimensional maximally supersymmetric gauge theory and topological string theory on supertwistor space $CP^{3|4}$. We extend Witten's correspondence to gauge theories…
One of the subtleties that has made superstring perturbation theory intricate at high string loop order is the fact that as shown by Donagi and Witten, supermoduli space is not holomorphically projected, nor is it holomorphically split. In…
We study three-dimensional ${\mathcal N}=2$ supersymmetric gauge theories on ${\Sigma_g \times S^1}$ with a topological twist along $\Sigma_g$, a genus-$g$ Riemann surface. The twisted supersymmetric index at genus $g$ and the correlation…
We show that on every Spin(7) manifold there always exists a unique linear connection with totally skew-symmetric torsion preserving a nontrivial spinor and the Spin(7) structure. We express its torsion and the Riemannian scalar curvature…
$\rm SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ Chern-Simons theory on a closed 3-manifold is one of the most interesting, yet tractable examples of a QFT. On one hand, its non-perturbative structure is not yet fully understood; on the other, the mathematical…
Witten's top Chern class is a particular cohomology class on the moduli space of Riemann surfaces endowed with r-spin structures. It plays a key role in Witten's conjecture relating to the intersection theory on these moduli spaces. Our…
We construct invertible field theories generalizing abelian prequantum spin Chern-Simons theory to manifolds of dimension 4k+3 endowed with a Wu structure of degree 2k+2. After analysing the anomalies of a certain discrete symmetry, we…
We clarify the global geometry of two 1-parameter families of cohomogeneity one Spin(7) holonomy metrics with generic orbit the Aloff--Wallach space $N(1,-1) \cong \mathrm{SU}(3)/\mathrm{U}(1)$ and singular orbits $S^5$ and $\mathbb{C}P^2$,…
Holonomy invariants in strict higher gauge theory have been studied in depth, aiming to applications to higher Chern-Simons theory. For a flat 2-connection, the holonomy of surface knots of arbitrary genus has been defined and its…
Superstring compactification on a manifold of Spin(7) holonomy gives rise to a 2d worldsheet conformal field theory with an extended supersymmetry algebra. The $\mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal algebra is extended by additional generators of…
We report on the following highlights from among the many discoveries made in Noncommutative Geometry since year 2000: 1) The interplay of the geometry with the modular theory for noncommutative tori, 2) Advances on the Baum-Connes…
We survey several mathematical developments in the holonomy approach to gauge theory. A cornerstone of this approach is the introduction of group structures on spaces of based loops on a smooth manifold, relying on certain homotopy…
We construct a consistent set of monopole equations on eight-manifolds with Spin(7) holonomy. These equations are elliptic and admit non-trivial solutions including all the 4-dimensional Seiberg-Witten solutions as a special case.