Consistency of M-theory on non-orientable manifolds

DOI10.1093/QMATH/HAAB007MaRDI QIDQ4956660zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Daniel S. Freed, Michael J. Hopkins

Publication date 2 September 2021

Published in The Quarterly Journal of Mathematics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1908.09916

zbMATH Keywords

anomalyM-theorypartition functionsuperstringbordism group\(\eta \)-invariant\(C\)-field

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of vector bundles and moduli spaces in mathematical physics (twistor theory, instantons, quantum field theory) (14D21) Eta-invariants, Chern-Simons invariants (58J28) Bordism and cobordism theories and formal group laws in algebraic topology (55N22) Twisted and skew group rings, crossed products (16S35) Noncommutative geometry in quantum theory (81R60) Adams spectral sequences (55T15) Matrix models and tensor models for quantum field theory (81T32)

Abstract: We prove that there is no parity anomaly in M-theory in the low-energy field theory approximation. Our approach is computational. We determine generators for the 12-dimensional bordism group of pin manifolds with a w_1-twisted integer lift of w_4; these are the manifolds on which Wick-rotated M-theory exists. The anomaly cancellation comes down to computing a specific eta-invariant and cubic form on these manifolds. Of interest beyond this specific problem are our expositions of: computational techniques for eta-invariants, the algebraic theory of cubic forms, Adams spectral sequence techniques, and anomalies for spinor fields and Rarita-Schwinger fields.

Recommendations

• Cubic forms, anomaly cancellation and modularity
• Twisted cohomotopy implies M5-brane anomaly cancellation
• Geometry of \(\mathrm{spin}\) and \(\mathrm{spin}^{c}\) structures in the M-theory partition function
• Anomaly cancellation in M-theory on orbifolds
• Global anomalies in M-theory

Cited in

(15)

• New Bochner type theorems
• Global anomalies in 8d supergravity
• What bordism-theoretic anomaly cancellation can do for U
• Frobenius-Schur indicators for twisted Real representation theory and two dimensional unoriented topological field theory
• Symmetry TFTs from string theory
• Bordism for the 2-group symmetries of the heterotic and CHL strings
• An approach to anomalies in M-theory via KSpin
• Constraints on the topology of type IIB string theory
• M-theory with framed corners and tertiary index invariants
• Global anomalies & bordism of non-supersymmetric strings
• Cubic forms, anomaly cancellation and modularity
• Index theory on Pin manifolds
• Chern-Weil global symmetries and how quantum gravity avoids them
• Anomaly inflow of Rarita-Schwinger field in 3 dimensions
• Flat F-theory and friends

This page was built for publication: Consistency of M-theory on non-orientable manifolds

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q4956660)