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arXiv:2208.05180

An introduction to 2d conformal field theory

Satoshi Nawata, Runkai Tao, Daisuke Yokoyama

Published Aug 10, 2022• 0 citations
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Abstract

These lecture notes provide a comprehensive introduction to 2d conformal field theory, covering foundational topics such as free fields, minimal models, Zamolodchikov's $c$-theorem, Wess-Zumino-Witten models, modular invariant partition functions, and the connections to entanglement entropy. The material presented is based on lectures at the Southeast University Summer School and the course at Fudan University.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2208.05180

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These lecture notes provide a comprehensive introduction to 2d conformal field theory, covering foundational topics such as free fields, minimal models, Zamolodchikov's ccc-theorem, Wess-Zumino-Witten models, modular invariant partition functions, and the connections to entanglement entropy. The material presented is based on lectures at the Southeast University Summer School and the course at Fudan University.
These lectures notes are based on courses given at National Taiwan University, National Chiao-Tung University, and National Tsing Hua University in the spring term of 2015. Although the course was offered primarily for graduate students, these lecture notes have been prepared for a more general audience. They are intended as an introduction to conformal field theories in various dimensions, with applications related to topics of particular interest: topics include the conformal bootstrap program, boundary conformal field theory, and applications related to the AdS/CFT correspondence. We assume the reader to be familiar with quantum mechanics at the graduate level and to have some basic knowledge of quantum field theory. Familiarity with string theory is not a prerequisite for this lectures, although it can only help.
The purpose of these lecture notes is to give an introduction to entanglement entropy with an emphasis on holography. Apart from the standard definition and properties of entanglement entropy, we explicitly derive the relation between the coefficients of the conformal anomaly and the universal term in the entropy of a d-dimensional CFT. We also discuss the prescription for calculating the entanglement entropy holographically in theories dual to Einstein-Hilbert and Lovelock gravity and present several examples in detail.
The primary aim of these lecture notes is to introduce the modern approach to two-dimensional conformal field theory (2D CFT). The study of analytical methods in two-dimensional conformal field theory has developed over several decades, starting with BPZ. The development of analytical methods, particularly in rational conformal field theory (RCFT), has been remarkable, with complete classifications achieved for certain model groups. One motivation for studying CFT comes from its ability to describe quantum critical systems. Given that realistic quantum critical systems are fundamentally RCFTs, it is somewhat natural that the analytical methods of RCFT have evolved significantly. CFTs other than RCFTs are called irrational conformal field theories (ICFTs). Compared to RCFTs, the study of ICFTs has not progressed as much. Leaving aside whether there is physical motivation or not, ICFTs inherently possess a difficulty that makes them challenging to approach. However, with the development of quantum gravity, the advancement of analytical methods for ICFTs has become essential. The reason lies in the AdS/CFT correspondence. AdS/CFT refers to the relationship between d+1d+1d+1 dimensional quantum gravity and ddd dimensional CFT. Within this correspondence, the CFT appears as a non-perturbative formulation of quantum gravity. Except in special cases, this CFT belongs to ICFT. Against this backdrop, the methods for ICFTs have developed rapidly in recent years. Many of these ICFT methods are indispensable for modern quantum gravity research. Unfortunately, these cannot be learned from textbooks on 2D CFTs, such as Yellow book. These lecture notes aim to fill this gap. Specifically, we will cover techniques that have already been applied in many studies, such as HHLL block and monodromy method, and significant results that have become proper nouns, such as Hellerman bound and HKS bound.