No label defined (Q4395052)

This is the first of a series of three expository papers by C. Dong, H.-S. Li and Y.-Z. Huang on vertex operator algebras. The author first reviews the definitions of vertex operator algebras and twisted modules [\textit{I. B. Frenkel, J. Lepowsky} and \textit{A. Meurman}, Vertex operator algebras and the Monster, Pure and Applied Math. 134 (Academic Press, 1988; Zbl 0674.17001)] and discusses some consequences of the Jacobi identity and the way how vertex operator algebras with finitely many generators can be constructed. After that the examples of vertex operator algebras associated with Heisenberg algebras, positive definite even lattices, affine Lie algebras and Virasoro algebra are given and some properties of their representations are stated. The author refers to the original literature for the proofs. The vertex operator structure in given examples is an easy consequence of the general theory on local systems presented in the second paper by \textit{Hai-sheng Li} (see Zbl 0899.17018). As an alternative approach (see Zbl 0899.17019) \textit{Yi-Zhi Zhu}'s associative algebra and its analogues for twisted modules are briefly discussed. At the end the author comments briefly on orbifold theory and on the generalizations of vertex operator algebras. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0887.00014].