Classifying superconformal field theories via chiral rings

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• Oliver Gray, University of Bristol
• Thursday 13 June 2013, 16:00-17:00
• Watson Building, Lecture Room A.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact David Craven.

Postgraduate seminar

I will introduce the main mathematical ideas behind conformal field theory, using the N=2 minimal models as a concrete example. We will see how the so-called ‘chiral rings’ arise from basic Lie algebra representation theory plus ideas from quantum field theory. Then we’ll use the chiral rings to classify a special class of N=2 minimal models (those with ‘space-time supersymmetry’) into the famous ADE pattern (as seen in finite subgroups of SU(2), surface quotient singularities, simple finite-dimensional simply-laced Lie algebras, simply-laced Dynkin diagrams, etc.) Finally I’ll present the chiral rings of the entire class of N=2 minimal models (even those without the extra supersymmetry) and leave as an open question the classification of these theories.

This talk is part of the Algebra seminar series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Algebra seminar
• School of Mathematics events
• Watson Building, Lecture Room A

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