An introduction to topological field theory and topological strings

Marcel Vonk
19th Nordic Network Meeting, Uppsala, November 2004

Notes, slides & references

Notes and slides at
http://www.teorfys.uu.se/people/marcel

References:
Witten, 1988-1991 Book Mirror Symmetry Recent notes by Marino and Neitzke & Vafa Bershadsky, Cecotti, Ooguri & Vafa, 1993

Motivation
Topological theories are easy to calculate with nice toy models describing aspects of the real world very interesting mathematically

Overview
Topology Topological field theories Chern-Simons theory Cohomological field theories
The A-model The B-model

Topological strings Applications

Topology
Topology studies the invariant properties of object under continuous deformations

e d
8 e > 0, 9 d > 0 : |y-x| < d ) |f(y)-f(x)| < e

Topology
Topology studies the invariant properties of object under continuous deformations
S

f-1(S)

8 S open ) f-1(S) open

Topology
To define properties which are invariant under continuous deformations, one does not need a metric!

Mathematically, a topological space consists of a set and its collection of open subsets.
We will always use manifolds, which locally look like Rd or Cd

Topology
The aim of topology is to look for topological invariants.

Topological invariants
d=0: Number of points
d=1: Number of lines, circles, etc. d=2: For each component: number of holes, boundaries and crosscaps d>2: ???

Topological invariants
General strategy: construct a vector bundle over the manifold (or over an associated one) and study its global properties. Tangent bundle Moduli spaces

Topological invariants
Often, the global data are encoded in a connection (gauge field), which tells us how to parallel transport vectors. Field strength ) curvature ) Chern classes

Topological invariants
Other key example: bundle of differential forms

The exterior derivative staisfies d2=0, so one can construct the cohomology groups

Topological invariants
These examples are related: The connection is not a differential form, but the trace of its field strength is. Chern classes:

Topological invariants
Third example: homology

Homology is Poincar dual to cohomology:

Topological field theories

How can we calculate topological invariants using physics? (Lecture 1 and 2) Topological field theories: independent of g What can we learn about real physics in this way? (Lecture 3)

Topological field theories

Trivial example: Chern-Simons theory

invariant!

Topological field theories

Observables in Chern-Simons theory Holonomy: Wilson loop: In this way, one finds knot invariants! (Witten, 1989)

Cohomological field theories

Cohomological field theories satisfy four properties: (1) There is an operator Q satisfying Q2 = 0

BRST-symmetry Supersymmetry

Cohomological field theories

Cohomological field theories satisfy four properties: (2) The physical operators satisfy

Q is a symmetry operator The physical operators are invariant Gauge symmetries (BRST)

Cohomological field theories

Cohomological field theories satisfy four properties: (3) The vacuum is Q-symmetric:

Commute Q towards the vacuum (1), (2) and (3) ) cohomology

Cohomological field theories

Cohomological field theories satisfy four properties: (4) The energy-momentum is Q-exact:

Hamiltonian and momentum are Q-closed The theory is now g-independent!

Cohomological field theories

A standard way to achieve (4) is to choose

Quantum measure:
This also implies In general, topological theories are not very sensitive to parameters in the initial action.

Cohomological field theories

Descent equations: ) From this, one derives

with

Cohomological field theories

Descent equations:

So

is physical (but nonlocal)

Continuing like this, construct p-forms

Cohomological field theories

Descent equations:

So

is physical (but nonlocal)

Continuing like this, construct p-forms

Cohomological field theories

d=2: recursion relations

Cohomological field theories

d=2: recursion relations All information at fixed t is contained in the two- and three-point functions on the sphere

t-derivatives:

N=(2,2) sigma-models
Superspace: Superfields:

Supertranslations and -rotations:

N=(2,2) sigma-models
Chiral superfields: This leaves four degrees of freedom:

Since {D,Q}=0, actions with chiral superfields have N=(2,2) supersymmetry.

D-terms:
F-terms:

N=(2,2) sigma-models
D-terms: Integrate over q:

Where We find a supersymmetric sigma-model with a Khler manifold as a target space

R-symmetries
R-symmetries are rotations of the fermionic coordinates:

Is the path integral measure invariant?

R-symmetries
In the manifestly invariant measure, one has to absorb zero-modes:

One can show that The measure is only FA-invariant if c1(M)=0

Calabi-Yau manifolds
A Khler manifold with c1(M)=0 is called a Calabi-Yau manifold Theorem: (Yau) Given a complex structure, there is a unique Ricci-flat Khler metric in the same Khler class

Consequence: the moduli space of Calabi-Yau manifolds consists of pairs of (compatible) Khler classes and complex structures.

Calabi-Yau moduli
In a given complex structure, the Khler form is a (1,1)-form. The complex structure is equivalent to specifying a (d,0)-form. Locally:

Infinitesimal changes change W by a (d-1,1)-form.

The moduli space is a subspace of H2 Hd

Calabi-Yau moduli
Local coordinates for the complex structure moduli:

Redundant coordinates:

Twisting N=(2,2) theories

The energy and momentum can be written as Q-commutators for either

or
Does this mean we have constructed our first topological field theories? No! The generators are fermionic, and the symmetry is broken on a curved background.

Twisting N=(2,2) theories

Solution: twist the theories

Now define

Then
A global QA-symmetry can now be defined on any curved Khler manifold

Twisting N=(2,2) theories

Solution: twist the theories

Now define

Then
A global QB-symmetry can now be defined on any curved Calabi-Yau manifold

The A-model
Twisted fields:

Lagrangean:

The A-model
Lagrangean:

This is nearly a QA-commutator: The difference in the actions is

The A-model
We see that The A-model is topological Up to a simple t-dependent factor, the model is semi-classical The results will depend on the Khler class, but not on other parameters In particular, there is no dependence on the complex structure

The A-model
Local observables:

Since

we find that

The A-model
The observables correspond to cohomology classes. A zero-mode analysis shows that we need to include k=d(1-g) operators c ) (k,k)-forms g>1: no nonzero correlators g=1: nonzero partition function g=0: nonzero correlation functions

The A-model
Semiclassical (exact!) treatment: the path integral localizes to

Holomorphic instantons. There is a finitedimensional space of these.

In fact, the dimension equals d(1-g) as well! The path integral is an integral over this moduli space. What does it compute?

The A-model
Poincar-duality:

One finds

The A-model
Special case t ! 1:

The general case can be viewed as quantum intersection numbers

The B-model
Twisted fields:

Lagrangean:

The B-model
Lagrangean:

This is nearly a QB-commutator:

where W is linear in q.

The B-model
We see that The B-model is completely semi-classical

Moreover, one can show that

The B-model is topological The results will depend on the complex structure, but not on the Khler class

The B-model
Local observables:

Since

we find that

The B-model
The observables correspond to Dolbeault cohomology classes with values in A zero-mode analysis shows that we need to include k=d(1-g) operators q, h ) k-vector valued k-forms

g>1: no nonzero correlators g=1: nonzero partition function g=0: nonzero correlation functions

The B-model
Semiclassical (exact!) treatment: the path integral localizes to

Constant maps. The moduli space is simply M itself! The path integral is an integral over spacetime. What does it compute?

The B-model
How to integrate a k-vector valued k-form over M?

This gives a (k,k)-form, which can be integrated.

Note the dependence on the complex structure!

Mirror symmetry
A-model ) easy interpretation (integers) B-model ) easy calculation For every Calabi-Yau X, one can find a mirror Calabi-Yau Y, with H1,1 and Hd-1,1 interchanged.

Moreover, the A-model on X is equivalent to the B-model on Y, and vice versa.

Topological strings
To couple a theory to gravity: Covariantize the action Introduce kinetic terms Integrate over metrics Here, we will only focus on the last step.

Topological strings
Why do we integrate over metrics at all? ??? No, since

There may be large transformations There may be anomalies The volume is infinite

Topological strings
How do we integrate over all metrics? Note that the sigma-model is conformal First integrate over the conformal group Then integrate over the remaining (finite dimensional) moduli space.

To integrate over conformally equivalent metrics, one usually has to worry about conformal anomalies.

Topological strings
Superconformal algebra:

The twisting amounts to which implies ) no anomaly!

Topological strings
However, we still have to integrate over the space of (complex structure) moduli. What is a good measure?

So one can define

Topological strings
Recall that the axial anomaly was 2d(g-1)

Therefore, the anomaly cancels if d=3! This can be considered a critical dimension

g=0: Three-point function g=1: One-point function g>1: Partition function

Topological strings
What about other n-point functions? We must insert nonlocal operators. etc. One can show that

satisfies
so B-model: F0 is the prepotential!

The holomorphic anomaly

Using the descent equations, one shows

The complex conjugate equation gives Therefore

seems to decouple from the A-model

The holomorphic anomaly

Naively, the models are holomorphic in t. However, note that

So we find a total derivative:

The holomorphic anomaly

Boundary of moduli space:

The holomorphic anomaly

Since the genus g partition functions are nearly holomoprphic, they can be determined up to a finite number of constants.

This is most easily calculated in the B-model.

Then, doing a mirror symmetry and using integrality in the A-model, one can often completely fix the constants.

Applications
N=2 F-terms NS 5-brane partition function 5-d and 4-d supersymmetric black holes Geometric transitions Matrix models () black holes) N=1 F-terms Cristal melting

N=2 F-terms
Consider a type II string theory on M4 CY6 This is described by a CFT4 CFT6 The CFT6 is precisely the N=(2,2) sigma model!

We may expect physical results depending only on these fields to be calculable in the topological string theory

N=2 F-terms
Compactification on CY6 leads to a 4dimensional N=2 supergravity theory. h2,1 complex structure moduli XI(x) h1,1 Khler moduli Ya(x) XI(x) ) vector multiplets (in IIB) Ya(x) ) hypermultiplets (in IIB)

N=2 F-terms
Supergravity theories are constructed from a small number of building blocks. F-term holomorphic superpotential F0(XI) There is an Sp(2,R)-symmetry acting on XI and FI = IF0. After quantization: Sp(2,Z) This determines F0 ) prepotential!

N=2 F-terms
What about Fg for g>0? Antoniadis, Gava, Narain, Taylor (1993):

Effective action:

Or using superfields:

Black holes in 4 dimensions

Now take a spacetime of the form BH4 CY6 The black hole has charges (PI, QI) Attractor equations: at the horizon

Entropy:

Black holes in 4 dimensions

Corrections to this formula from the F-terms:

Legendre transforming this result leads to

(Ooguri, Strominger, Vafa - 2004)

Geometric transitions
Simple noncompact Calabi-Yau: the conifold

S3 S2 One can deform or resolve the conifold

Geometric transitions
Topological D-branes can be constructed: A-model: 3-dimensional Lagrangean cycles B-model: 2p-dimensional holomorphic cycles A-model on deformed conifold: Wrap N D-branes on S3:

Geometric transitions
What is the AdS/CFT dual geometry? Natural guess: the resolved conifold with

Using a sigma model which has two phases, this can indeed be proven. (Gopakumar, Vafa 1998)

N=1 F-terms
Construct N=1, d=4 gauge theories: wrap D5branes on 2-cycles. (B-model) Geometric transition: this is equivalent to resolved geometries with fluxes.

) (N=2) (N=1)

N=1 F-terms
Fluxes through dual (noncompact) cycles as well:

In the dual N=1 SYM, in the IR:

Dijkgraaf, Vafa (2002): W = Weff

N=0 ???
Topological M-theory?

N=0 ???
Topological M-theory?

The End