Groups of loops and hoops

DOI10.1007/S002200000284MaRDI QIDQ5940500zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Pablo Spallanzani

Publication date 9 August 2001

Published in Communications in Mathematical Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math/9908098

zbMATH Keywords

groop of loopsgroup of hoopsloops representation in quantum field theory

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Issues of holonomy in differential geometry (53C29) Applications of global differential geometry to the sciences (53C80)

Abstract: The approaches to quantum field theories based in the so called loop representation deserved much attention recently. In it, closed curves and holonomies around them play a central role. In this framework the group of loops and the group of hoops have been defined, the first one consisting in closed curves quotient with the equivalence relation that identifies curves differing in retraced segments, and the second one consisting in closed curves quotient with the equivalence relation that identifies curves having the same holonomy for every connection in a fiber bundle. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relation between hoops and loops, or in other words, to give a description of the class of holonomy equivalent curves.

Review text

One approach to quantum field theory is to consider states as functionals on closed curves instead functions on spaces. In this approach it becomes actual to consider group structures on spaces of closed curves and holonomies around them. One can naturally define an inverse element (\(\alpha(t)\mapsto \alpha^{-1}(t)=\alpha(1-t)\)), multiplication and identify curves differing by reparametrisation. To make this space a group we need to perform further identification. Identifying curves \(\alpha\beta\) and \(\alpha\rho\rho^{-1}\beta\) we come to the group of loops. Another identification is obtained as follows: Given a principal bundle, \((E,M,G,\pi)\), where \(G\) is a Lie group, identify two curves if they have the same holonomy for every connection in the fibre bundle. Thus we come to so called groop of loops. The purpose of the paper is to clarify the relation between groops of loops and of hoops. One considers the group \(E_G\) of identities of the group \(G\). This is a subgroup of words such that a word \(w=e_1^{\varepsilon_1} e_2^{\varepsilon_2} \dots e_k^{\varepsilon_k}\) belongs to \(E_G\) if \(g_1^{\varepsilon_1} g_2^{\varepsilon_2}\dots g_k^{\varepsilon_k}=1\) for arbitrary elements \(\{g_1,\dots, g_k\}\) of the group \(G\), (\(\varepsilon_i=\pm 1\)). The author studies relations between groop of hoops and factors of group of loops by its subgroup generated by \(E_G\). In particular, groups of loops and of hoops coincide if \(G\) is connected and non-solvable.

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(7)

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• Generalized path dependent representations for gauge theories
• Thin homotopy and the holonomy approach to gauge theories
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