English

Courant sigma model and $L_\infty$-algebras

High Energy Physics - Theory 2020-08-28 v2 Mathematical Physics math.MP

Abstract

The Courant sigma model is a 3-dimensional topological sigma model of AKSZ type which has been used for the systematic description of closed strings in non-geometric flux backgrounds. In particular, the expression for the fluxes and their Bianchi identities coincide with the local form of the axioms of a Courant algebroid. On the other hand, the axioms of a Courant algebroid also coincide with the conditions for gauge invariance of the Courant sigma model. In this paper we embed this interplay between background fluxes of closed strings, gauge (or more precisely BRST) symmetries of the Courant sigma model and axioms of a Courant algebroid into an LL_\infty-algebra structure. We show how the complete BV-BRST formulation of the Courant sigma model is described in terms of LL_\infty-algebras. Moreover, the morphism between the LL_\infty-algebra for a Courant algebroid and the one for the corresponding sigma model is constructed.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2001.11745,
  title  = {Courant sigma model and $L_\infty$-algebras},
  author = {Clay James Grewcoe and Larisa Jonke},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2001.11745},
  year   = {2020}
}

Comments

34 pages. v2: typos corrected, published version

R2 v1 2026-06-23T13:26:18.361Z