Leibniz gauge theories and infinity structures

Exceptional (super)algebras (17B25) Applications of differential geometry to physics (53Z05) Yang-Mills and other gauge theories in quantum field theory (81T13) Quantum field theory on curved space or space-time backgrounds (81T20) Topological field theories in quantum mechanics (81T45) Supergravity (83E50)

Abstract: We formulate gauge theories based on Leibniz(-Loday) algebras and uncover their underlying mathematical structure. Various special cases have been developed in the context of gauged supergravity and exceptional field theory. These are based on `tensor hierarchies', which describe towers of

p

-form gauge fields transforming under non-abelian gauge symmetries and which have been constructed up to low levels. Here we define `infinity-enhanced Leibniz algebras' that guarantee the existence of consistent tensor hierarchies to arbitrary level. We contrast these algebras with strongly homotopy Lie algebras (

L_{i n f t y}

algebras), which can be used to define topological field theories for which all curvatures vanish. Any infinity-enhanced Leibniz algebra carries an associated

L_{i n f t y}

algebra, which we discuss.

Review text

The authors develop the general gauge theory of Leibniz-Loday algebras which are algebraic structures generalizing the notion of Lie algebras. For this purpose they provide a list of structures and axioms defining what they call an infinity-enhanced Leibniz algebra aiming at a proper mathematical axiomatization of the notion of `tensor hierarchy' developed in theoretical physics. The authors prove that the given axioms allow one to define a generalized Lie derivative that acts covariantly on all algebraic structures, and closes on itself modulo trivial transformations. They use the infinity-enhanced Leibniz algebra to construct gauge covariant curvatures \(\mathcal{F}_{p+1}\) for \(p\)-form gauge fields \(A_p\) of arbitrary degree. Consistency of the tensor hierarchy is established by showing that the curvatures obey a set of Bianchi identities which indirectly establishes gauge covariance. The authors study the relation between their infinity enhanced Leibniz algebra and the closely related \(L_\infty\) algebras. They show that in contrast to Leibniz algebras, the \(L_\infty\) structure alone is not sufficient to define gauge covariant curvatures for higher form potentials. Leibniz algebras are defined by a bilinear operation \(\circ\) satisfying the identity \[ x\circ(y\circ z)-y\circ(x\circ z)=(x\circ y)\circ z. \] So defining \(\mathcal{L}_x y:=x\circ y\) and \([\mathcal{L}_x,\mathcal{L}_y]z:=\mathcal{L}_x(\mathcal{L}_y z)-\mathcal{L}_y(\mathcal{L}_x z)\) we have \([\mathcal{L}_x,\mathcal{L}_y]z=\mathcal{L}_{x\circ y}z\) without assuming that the product \(\circ\) is antisymmetric. If the product is not antisymmetric, it carries a non-vanishing symmetric part denoted by \(\{\cdot,\cdot\}\), and one verifies that \(\mathcal{L}_{\{x,y\}}z=0\) for any \(z\). The authors show that the space of trivial parameters forms an ideal of the antisymmetric bracket. The authors extend the vector space of the Leibniz algebra \(X_0\) to a chain complex \(X =\bigoplus_{n=0}^\infty X_n\) with a nilpotent degree-\((-1)\) differential \(\mathfrak{D}\). They also postulate a degree-\((+1)\) graded symmetric map \(\bullet : X \otimes X \to X\), satisfying suitable compatibility conditions with the differential \(\mathfrak{D}\) and the Leibniz product, as for instance \( \{x, y\} = \mathfrak{D}(x \bullet y)\) for \(x, y \in X_0\). Defining the operator \(\iota_x u := x \bullet u\) the authors define a Lie derivative with respect to \(\lambda \in X_0\) \[ \mathcal{L}_\lambda :=\iota_\lambda \mathfrak{D} + \mathfrak{D}\iota_\lambda, \] which satisfies all familiar relations as a consequence of the general axioms. They define a gauge theory for a set of \(p\)-form gauge fields of arbitrary rank, each form taking values in \(X_{ p-1}\), by starting from a one-form \(A_1\), taking value in the Leibniz algebra \(X_0 \), with gauge transformation \(\delta A_1 = D{\lambda_0} - \mathfrak{D}\lambda_1 \), where \(D:=d-\mathcal{L}_{A_1}\) denotes the `covariant derivative'. They introduce an \(X_1\)-valued two-form \(A_2\) whose gauge transformation is adjusted to make the two-form curvature \(\mathcal{F}_2 = dA_1 - \frac{1}{2}A_1 \circ A_1 +\mathfrak{D}A_2\) covariant, i.e., \(\delta\mathcal{F}_2 = \mathcal{L}_{\lambda_0}\mathcal{F}_2\). Covariance of the three-form curvature associated to \(A_2\) introduces \(A_3\) and so on. In this way they obtain higher form potentials \(A_{p}\) and the corresponding curvatures such that \(\mathcal{F}:=\sum_{p=2}^{\infty} \mathcal{F}_{p}\) satisfies the Bianchi identity \[ D\mathcal{F} +\frac{1}{2}\mathcal{F} \bullet \mathcal{F} = \mathfrak{D}\mathcal{F}. \]

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