Developments in topological gravity

DOI10.1142/9789813278677_0002MaRDI QIDQ5195016zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Robbert Dijkgraaf, Edward Witten

Publication date 17 September 2019

Published in Topology and Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.03275

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of vector bundles and moduli spaces in mathematical physics (twistor theory, instantons, quantum field theory) (14D21) Topological field theories in quantum mechanics (81T45) Gravitational interaction in quantum theory (81V17) Analogues of general relativity in lower dimensions (83C80)

Abstract: This note aims to provide an entr'ee to two developments in two-dimensional topological gravity -- that is, intersection theory on the moduli space of Riemann surfaces -- that have not yet become well-known among physicists. A little over a decade ago, Mirzakhani discovered cite{M1,M2} an elegant new proof of the formulas that result from the relationship between topological gravity and matrix models of two-dimensional gravity. Here we will give a very partial introduction to that work, which hopefully will also serve as a modest tribute to the memory of a brilliant mathematical pioneer. More recently, Pandharipande, Solomon, and Tessler cite{PST} (with further developments in cite{Tes,BT,STa}) generalized intersection theory on moduli space to the case of Riemann surfaces with boundary, leading to generalizations of the familiar KdV and Virasoro formulas. Though the existence of such a generalization appears natural from the matrix model viewpoint -- it corresponds to adding vector degrees of freedom to the matrix model -- constructing this generalization is not straightforward. We will give some idea of the unexpected way that the difficulties were resolved.

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Cited in

(13)

• On the connection between 2d topological gravity and the reduced Hermitian matrix model
• Kontsevich-Witten model from \(2+1\) gravity: new exact combinatorial solution
• Algebraic-geometrical formulation of two-dimensional quantum gravity
• Constrained topological gravity from twisted \(N=2\) Liouville theory.
• Genus expansion of open free energy in 2d topological gravity
• Punctures and \(p\)-spin curves from matrix models. III: \(D_l\) type and logarithmic potential
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• Constraining Weil–Petersson volumes by universal random matrix correlations in low-dimensional quantum gravity
• GUE via Frobenius manifolds. I: From matrix gravity to topological gravity and back

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