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The Floer Memorial Volume pp 637–678Cite as

Chern-Simons gauge theory as a string theory

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Part of the book series: Progress in Mathematics ((PM,volume 133))

Abstract

Certain two dimensional topological field theories can be interpreted as string theory backgrounds in which the usual decoupling of ghosts and matter does not hold. Like ordinary string models, these can sometimes be given space-time interpretations. For instance, three-dimensional Chern-Simons gauge theory can arise as a string theory. The world-sheet model in this case involves a limiting case of Floer/Gromov theory of symplectic manifolds. The instantons usually considered in Floer theory give rise to Wilson line insertions in the space-time Chern-Simons theory. A certain holomorphic analog of Chern-Simons theory can also arise as a string theory.

Research supported in part by NSF Grant PHY91-06210

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Olden Lane, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA

    Edward Witten

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  1. Edward Witten
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Mathematics, ETH-Zentrum, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland

    Helmut Hofer  & Eduard Zehnder  & 

  2. Dept. of Mathematics, Harvard University, 02138, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Clifford H. Taubes

  3. Dept. of Mathematics, University of California, 94720, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Alan Weinstein

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© 1995 Birkhäuser Verlag

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Witten, E. (1995). Chern-Simons gauge theory as a string theory. In: Hofer, H., Taubes, C.H., Weinstein, A., Zehnder, E. (eds) The Floer Memorial Volume. Progress in Mathematics, vol 133. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-9217-9_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-9217-9_28

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser Basel

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-0348-9948-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-0348-9217-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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