A cohomological perspective on algebraic quantum field theory (Q1637295): Difference between revisions

In this paper the author generalizes in a category theoretic framework the usual definition of algebraic quantum field theory \textit{à la} Haag and studies the deformations of this generalized structure by the aid of Hochschild cohomology. Deformations may correspond to introducing interaction(s) into an originally free quantum field theory. Recall that in its original formulation a \textit{locally covariant (algebraic) quantum field theory} (LCQFT) is a covariant functor from the category of globally hyperbolic manifolds (with obvious objects and morphisms) into the category of \(C^*\)- or von Neumann algebras (with obvious objects and morphisms); this functor is expected to satisfy the (i) Einstein causality axiom, (ii) the time slice axiom and (iii) the axiom of isotony. Restricting to a fixed globally hyperbolic manifold, from a pure algebraic viewpoint this structure can be regarded as a diagram of \(*\)-algebras over the small category of open subsets of a fixed globally hyperbolic manifold satisfying the three axioms just mentioned. Motivated by category theoretic and homological algebra considerations but dropping analytical questions related with the existence of norms on the algebra of observables, the author then carries out two things. First, he generalizes LCQFT using a \textit{skew diagram of \(*\)-algebras} (see Definition 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 or more generally, Section 3 in the article) over the category of causally complete regions in a fixed space-time such that the three axioms above continue to hold. From the physical point of view the resulting \textit{generalized LCQFT} covers the situation when, beyond the Lorentzian manifold structure, additional structures (such as spin structures, etc.) on the space-time side are also required to build up a quantum field theory. Secondly the author introduces the Hochschild bicomplex of the (skew) diagram of \(*\)-algebras (see Section 2 in the article) and applies the resulting cohomology theory to study deformations of (generalized) LCQFT's. Recall that given an associative algebra \(A\), its various Hochschild cohomology groups provide information on various infinitesimal deformations of \(A\) (for instance the infinitesimal deformations of the multiplication on it). In this way Hochschild cohomology can ``guide'' the passage from a classical field theory to a quantum one via deformation quantization (i.e., a deformation of a commutative product on the algebra of observables into a non-commutative one) or it can help to introduce interaction(s) into an originally free quantum field theory (which again can be regarded as a deformation of the product structure of the algebra of observables). See Sections 4 and 5 in the article. Finally, it is important to note that because of (hopefully only temporal) technical reasons all analytical questions stemming from the existence of a norm on the algebra of observables have been suppressed in the article. As a result all the algebras of observables used here are bare \(*\)-algebras only that is, not \(C^*\)- or von Neumann algebras as usually assumed in algebraic quantum field theory.