Current algebra representation for the \(3+1\) dimensional Dirac-Yang-Mills theory (Q1101838)

For the group Map(S 1,G) of smooth maps of the circle into a compact Lie group G, there is a rich theory of (projective) unitary representations of positive energy, i.e. representations which admit an intertwining action of the infinitesimal generator of the rotations of S 1, this operator acting on the representation space with a spectrum which is bounded below. In collaboration with S. Rajeev, the present author has attempted to construct analogues of these representations for the group Map(M,G), where M is a 3-dimensional compact spin manifold; positive energy now means that there should be an intertwining action of the Dirac operator of M, with spectrum bounded below as before. Positive energy representations do exist; they are representations of a non-central extension of Map(M,G) with infinite-dimensional kernel. In this paper the author shows that a positive energy (projective) representation of Map(M,G) can never be unitary. Thus, a precise analogue of the one-dimensional case is not possible in 3 dimensions.