Mathematical physics

We will describe an approach to the theory of fundamental particlesbased on finite-dimensional quantum algebras of observables. We will explain why the unimodularity of the color group suggests an interpretation of the quarklepton symmetry which involves the octonions and leads to the quantum spaces underlying the Jordan algebras of octonionic hermitian 2 × 2 and 3 × 3 matrices as internal geometry for fundamental particles. In the course of this talk, we will remind shortly why the finite-dimensional algebras of observables are the finite-dimensional euclidean Jordan agebras and we will describe their classifications. We will also explain our differential calculus on Jordan algebras and the theory of connections on Jordan modules. It is pointed out that the above theory of connections implies potentially a lot of scalar particles.

We introduce the notions of (G,q)-opers and Miura (G,q)-opers, where G is a simply-connected complex simple Lie group, and prove some general results about their structure. We then establish a one-to-one correspondence between the set of (G,q)-opers of a certain kind and the set of nondegenerate solutions of a system of XXZ Bethe Ansatz equations. This can be viewed as a generalization of the so-called quantum/classical duality which I studied with D. Gaiotto several years ago. q-Opers generalize classical side, while on the quantum side we have more general XXZ Bethe Ansatz equations. The generalization goes beyond the scope of physics of N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories.

The subject of equivariant elliptic cohomology finds itself at the interface of topology, string theory, affine representation theory, singularity theory and integrable systems. These connections were already known to the founders of the discipline, Grojnowski, Segal, Hopkins, Devoto, but have come into sharper focus in recent years with a number of remarkable developments happening simultaneously: First, there are the geometric constructions, due to Kitchloo, Rezk and Spong, Berwick-Evans and Tripathy, building on the older program of Stolz-Teichner, and of course Segal. These are now all known to be equivalent to Grojnowski's original definition, thanks to work of Spong. Second, there are new applications, to integrable systems (Aganagic-Okounkov, Felder-Rimanyi-Varchenko-Tarasov) and to representation theory (Yang-Zhao-Zhong, G-Ram). Finally, there is the work of Weber-Rimanyi-Kumar, who build on the techniques of Borisov and Libgober to define Schubert classes in equivariant elliptic cohomology (with an added dynamical parametre), recovering the stable envelopes in type A. This talk will give a gentle introduction to the topic and attempt an overview over these recent developments.

I will present recent work (to appear soon) on the homological mirror symmetry about the universal centralizers $J_G$, for any complex semisimple Lie group $G$. The A-side is a partially wrapped Fukaya category of $J_G$, and the B-side is the category of coherent sheaves on the categorical quotient of a dual maximal torus by the Weyl group action (with some modification if $G$ has a nontrivial center).

Borcherds Kac-Moody (BKM) algebras are a generalization of familiar Kac-Moody algebras with imaginary simple roots. On the one hand, they were invented by Borcherds in his proof of the monstrous moonshine conjectures and have many interesting connections to new moonshines, number theory and the theory of automorphic forms. On the other hand, there is an old conjecture of Harvey and Moore that BPS states in string theory form an algebra that is in some cases a BKM algebra and which is based on certain signatures of BKMs observed in 4d threshold corrections and black hole physics. I will talk about the construction of new BKMs superalgebras arising from self-dual vertex operator algebras of central charge 12, and comment on their relation to physical string theories in 2 dimensions. Based on work with N. Paquette, D. Persson, and R. Volpato.

To any vertex algebra one can attach in a canonical way a certain Poisson variety, called the associated variety. Nilpotent Slodowy slices appear as associated varieties of admissible (simple) W-algebras. They also appear as Higgs branches of the Argyres-Douglas theories in 4d N=2 SCFT’s. These two facts are linked by the so-called Higgs branch conjecture. In this talk I will explain how to exploit the geometry of nilpotent Slodowy slices to study some properties of W-algebras whose motivation stems from physics. This is a joint work with Tomoyuki Arakawa and Jethro van Ekeren (still in preparation).