Gauge and topological symmetries in the bulk quantization of gauge theories

Laurent Baulieu, Pietro Antonio Grassi, Daniel Zwanziger

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    A gauge theory with 4 physical dimensions can be consistently expressed as a renormalizable topological quantum field theory in 5 dimensions. We extend the symmetries in the 5-dimensional framework to include not only a topological BRST operator s that encodes the invisibility of the "bulk" (the fifth dimension), but also a gauge BRST operator w that encodes gauge-invariance and selects observables. These symmetries provide a rich structure of Ward identities which assure the renormalizability of the theory, including non-renormalization theorems. The 5-dimensional approach considerably simplifies conceptual questions such as for instance the Gribov phenomenon and fermion doubling. A confinement scenario in the 5-dimensional framework is sketched. We detail the five-dimensional mechanism of anomalies, and we exhibit a natural lattice discretization that is free of fermion doubling.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)583-614
    Number of pages32
    JournalNuclear Physics B
    Volume597
    Issue number1-3
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Mar 12 2001

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Nuclear and High Energy Physics

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