Peter Bouwknegt – författare

In the last decade there has been an extraordinary confluence of ideas in mathematics and theoretical physics brought about by pioneering discoveries in geometry and analysis. The various chapters in this volume, treating the interface of geometric analysis and mathematical physics, represent current research interests. No suitable succinct account of the material is available elsewhere. Key topics include: * A self-contained derivation of the partition function of Chern- Simons gauge theory in the semiclassical approximation (D.H. Adams) * Algebraic and geometric aspects of the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equations in conformal field theory (P. Bouwknegt) * Application of the representation theory of loop groups to simple models in quantum field theory and to certain integrable systems (A.L. Carey and E. Langmann) * A study of variational methods in Hermitian geometry from the viewpoint of the critical points of action functionals together with physical backgrounds (A. Harris) * A review of monopoles in nonabelian gauge theories (M.K. Murray) * Exciting developments in quantum cohomology (Y. Ruan) * The physics origin of Seiberg-Witten equations in 4-manifold theory (S. Wu) Graduate students, mathematicians and mathematical physicists in the above-mentioned areas will benefit from the user-friendly introductory style of each chapter as well as the comprehensive bibliographies provided for each topic. Prerequisite knowledge is minimal since sufficient background material motivates each chapter.

In the last decade there has been an extraordinary confluence of ideas in mathematics and theoretical physics brought about by pioneering discoveries in geometry and analysis. The various chapters in this volume, treating the interface of geometric analysis and mathematical physics, represent current research interests. No suitable succinct account of the material is available elsewhere. Key topics include: * A self-contained derivation of the partition function of Chern- Simons gauge theory in the semiclassical approximation (D.H. Adams) * Algebraic and geometric aspects of the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equations in conformal field theory (P. Bouwknegt) * Application of the representation theory of loop groups to simple models in quantum field theory and to certain integrable systems (A.L. Carey and E. Langmann) * A study of variational methods in Hermitian geometry from the viewpoint of the critical points of action functionals together with physical backgrounds (A. Harris) * A review of monopoles in nonabelian gauge theories (M.K. Murray) * Exciting developments in quantum cohomology (Y. Ruan) * The physics origin of Seiberg-Witten equations in 4-manifold theory (S. Wu) Graduate students, mathematicians and mathematical physicists in the above-mentioned areas will benefit from the user-friendly introductory style of each chapter as well as the comprehensive bibliographies provided for each topic. Prerequisite knowledge is minimal since sufficient background material motivates each chapter.

In the last decade there has been an extraordinary confluence of ideas in mathematics and theoretical physics brought about by pioneering discoveries in geometry and analysis. The various chapters in this volume, treating the interface of geometric analysis and mathematical physics, represent current research interests. No suitable succinct account of the material is available elsewhere. Key topics include: * A self-contained derivation of the partition function of Chern- Simons gauge theory in the semiclassical approximation (D.H. Adams) * Algebraic and geometric aspects of the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equations in conformal field theory (P. Bouwknegt) * Application of the representation theory of loop groups to simple models in quantum field theory and to certain integrable systems (A.L. Carey and E. Langmann) * A study of variational methods in Hermitian geometry from the viewpoint of the critical points of action functionals together with physical backgrounds (A. Harris) * A review of monopoles in nonabelian gauge theories (M.K. Murray) * Exciting developments in quantum cohomology (Y. Ruan) * The physics origin of Seiberg-Witten equations in 4-manifold theory (S. Wu) Graduate students, mathematicians and mathematical physicists in the above-mentioned areas will benefit from the user-friendly introductory style of each chapter as well as the comprehensive bibliographies provided for each topic. Prerequisite knowledge is minimal since sufficient background material motivates each chapter.

The study of W algebras began in 1985 in the context of two-dimensional conf- mal field theories, the aim being to explore higher-spin extensions of the Virasoro algebra. Given the simultaneous growth in the understanding of two-dimensional metric gravity inspired by analyses of string models, it was inevitable that these algebras would be applied to give analogues of putative higher-spin gravity t- ories. This book is an exposition of the past few years of our work on such an application for the algebra: in particular, the BRST quantization of the n- critical 4D string. We calculate the physical spectrum as a problem in BRST cohomology. The corresponding operator cohomology forms a BV algebra, for which we provide a geometrical model. The algebra has one further generator, of spin three, in addition to the (spin two) energy-momentum tensor which generates the Virasoro algebra. C- trary to the Virasoro algebra, it is an algebra defined by nonlinear relations. In deriving our understanding of the resulting gravity theories we have had to - velop a number of results on the representation theory of W algebras, to replace the standard techniques that were so successful in treating linear algebras.

The study of W algebras began in 1985 in the context of two-dimensional conf- mal field theories, the aim being to explore higher-spin extensions of the Virasoro algebra. Given the simultaneous growth in the understanding of two-dimensional metric gravity inspired by analyses of string models, it was inevitable that these algebras would be applied to give analogues of putative higher-spin gravity t- ories. This book is an exposition of the past few years of our work on such an application for the algebra: in particular, the BRST quantization of the n- critical 4D string. We calculate the physical spectrum as a problem in BRST cohomology. The corresponding operator cohomology forms a BV algebra, for which we provide a geometrical model. The algebra has one further generator, of spin three, in addition to the (spin two) energy-momentum tensor which generates the Virasoro algebra. C- trary to the Virasoro algebra, it is an algebra defined by nonlinear relations. In deriving our understanding of the resulting gravity theories we have had to - velop a number of results on the representation theory of W algebras, to replace the standard techniques that were so successful in treating linear algebras.