Lecture

Vertex Operator Algebras: Conformal Vectors and Virasoro Algebra

Graph Chat

Chat with Graph Search

Ask any question about EPFL courses, lectures, exercises, research, news, etc. or try the example questions below.

DISCLAIMER: The Graph Chatbot is not programmed to provide explicit or categorical answers to your questions. Rather, it transforms your questions into API requests that are distributed across the various IT services officially administered by EPFL. Its purpose is solely to collect and recommend relevant references to content that you can explore to help you answer your questions.

In course

MATH-680: Monstrous moonshine

The monstrous moonshine is an unexpected connection between the Monster group and modular functions. In the course we will explain the statement of the conjecture and study the main ideas and concepts leading to its proof. Our final goal is to study Borc ...

Description

This lecture covers the theory of vertex operator algebras, focusing on conformal vectors, Virasoro algebra, and Heisenberg vertex algebra. It discusses properties such as conformal invariance, the Virasoro algebra structure, and the Heisenberg commutation relations. The lecture also explores the significance of the Leech lattice and the moonshine phenomenon in the context of vertex operator algebras.

This video is available exclusively on Mediaspace for a restricted audience. Please log in to MediaSpace to access it if you have the necessary permissions.

Watch on Mediaspace

Instructor

Maryna Viazovska

Maryna Viazovska did her bachelor studies at the Kyiv National Taras ShevchenkoUniversity and completed her MSc at the Technical University Kaiserslautern.She obtained her PhD in 2013 in Bonn.She was a postdoctoral researcher at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiquesand at the Humboldt University of Berlin, and in 2017 was a Minerva DistinguishedVisitor at Princeton University. She joined EPFL in 2017 as Tenure-Track AssistantProfessor and was promoted Full Professor in 2018.

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Physics

Thermodynamics: Critical phenomena

Related concepts (22)

Vertex operator algebra

In mathematics, a vertex operator algebra (VOA) is an algebraic structure that plays an important role in two-dimensional conformal field theory and string theory. In addition to physical applications, vertex operator algebras have proven useful in purely mathematical contexts such as monstrous moonshine and the geometric Langlands correspondence. The related notion of vertex algebra was introduced by Richard Borcherds in 1986, motivated by a construction of an infinite-dimensional Lie algebra due to Igor Frenkel.

Virasoro algebra

In mathematics, the Virasoro algebra (named after the physicist Miguel Ángel Virasoro) is a complex Lie algebra and the unique central extension of the Witt algebra. It is widely used in two-dimensional conformal field theory and in string theory. The Virasoro algebra is spanned by generators Ln for n ∈ Z and the central charge c. These generators satisfy and The factor of is merely a matter of convention. For a derivation of the algebra as the unique central extension of the Witt algebra, see derivation of the Virasoro algebra.

Leech lattice

In mathematics, the Leech lattice is an even unimodular lattice Λ24 in 24-dimensional Euclidean space, which is one of the best models for the kissing number problem. It was discovered by . It may also have been discovered (but not published) by Ernst Witt in 1940. The Leech lattice Λ24 is the unique lattice in 24-dimensional Euclidean space, E24, with the following list of properties: It is unimodular; i.e., it can be generated by the columns of a certain 24×24 matrix with determinant 1. It is even; i.e.

E8 lattice

In mathematics, the E_8 lattice is a special lattice in R^8. It can be characterized as the unique positive-definite, even, unimodular lattice of rank 8. The name derives from the fact that it is the root lattice of the E_8 root system. The norm of the E_8 lattice (divided by 2) is a positive definite even unimodular quadratic form in 8 variables, and conversely such a quadratic form can be used to construct a positive-definite, even, unimodular lattice of rank 8. The existence of such a form was first shown by H.

Conformal field theory

A conformal field theory (CFT) is a quantum field theory that is invariant under conformal transformations. In two dimensions, there is an infinite-dimensional algebra of local conformal transformations, and conformal field theories can sometimes be exactly solved or classified. Conformal field theory has important applications to condensed matter physics, statistical mechanics, quantum statistical mechanics, and string theory. Statistical and condensed matter systems are indeed often conformally invariant at their thermodynamic or quantum critical points.

Related lectures (41)

Easing Model Conformal Theory: Scaling Limits and Correlations

Covers the Easing model conformal theory, focusing on scaling limits and correlation functions.

Statistical Models: Unitary Conformal Field Theories

Covers the connection between statistical models and unitary conformal field theories, focusing on critical points and the role of local fields.

Conformal Transformations: Part 1

Covers the topic of conformal transformations, including translations, dilations, rotations, and the conformal algebra.

Local Fields and Correlations in Ising Models

Covers local fields and correlations in Ising models and conformal field theory.

Operator Product Expansion