Patrick Jefferson — Introduction to Chern Simons Theory, Pt 2

Patrick Jefferson, UMass Physics

Chern–Simons theory is a three-dimensional topological quantum field theory with deep connections to various structures in mathematics and physics. I will give an introduction to Chern-Simons theory and survey some of these connections. A goal of this discussion is to establish a useful setting in which to revisit and further explore aspects of symmetries that were introduced last semester.

Last time, I defined U(1)_k Chern-Simons theory on a closed 3-manifold for even k. In this seminar, I will discuss one-form symmetries, the framing anomaly, and the generalization of k to odd integers. Time permitting, I will also comment on applications to fractional quantum Hall states.