Integrability in random conformal geometry

Liouville quantum gravity (LQG) is a random surface arising as the scaling limit of random planar maps. Schramm-Loewner evolution (SLE) is a random planar curve describing the scaling limits of interfaces in many statistical physics models. Liouville conformal field theory (LCFT) is the quantum fiel...

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Main Author: Ang, Jie Jun
Other Authors: Sheffield, Scott
Format: Thesis
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2022
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145126
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1859-4313
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author Ang, Jie Jun
author2 Sheffield, Scott
author_facet Sheffield, Scott
Ang, Jie Jun
author_sort Ang, Jie Jun
collection MIT
description Liouville quantum gravity (LQG) is a random surface arising as the scaling limit of random planar maps. Schramm-Loewner evolution (SLE) is a random planar curve describing the scaling limits of interfaces in many statistical physics models. Liouville conformal field theory (LCFT) is the quantum field theory underlying LQG. Each of these satisfies conformal invariance or covariance. This thesis proves exact formulas in random conformal geometry; we highlight a few here. The Brownian annulus describes the scaling limit of uniform random planar maps with the annulus topology, and is the canonical annular 𝛾-LQG surface with 𝛾 = √︀8/3. We obtain the law of its modulus, which is as predicted from the ghost partition function in bosonic string theory. The conformal loop ensemble (CLE) is a random collection of loops in the plane which locally look like SLE, corresponding to the scaling limit of all interfaces in several important statistical mechanics models. We derive the three-point nesting statistic of simple CLE on the sphere. It agrees with the imaginary DOZZ formula of Zamolodchikov (2005) and Kostov-Petkova (2007), which is the three-point structure constant of the generalized minimal model conformal field theories. We compute the one-point bulk structure constant for LCFT on the disk, thereby proving the formula proposed by Fateev, Zamolodchikov and Zamolodchikov (2000). This is a disk analog of the DOZZ constant for the sphere. Our result represents the first step towards solving LCFT on surfaces with boundary via the conformal bootstrap. Our arguments depend on the interplay between LQG, SLE and LCFT. Firstly, LQG behaves well under conformal welding with SLE curves as the interfaces. Secondly, LCFT and LQG give complementary descriptions of the same geometry.
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spelling mit-1721.1/1451262022-08-30T03:56:14Z Integrability in random conformal geometry Ang, Jie Jun Sheffield, Scott Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mathematics Liouville quantum gravity (LQG) is a random surface arising as the scaling limit of random planar maps. Schramm-Loewner evolution (SLE) is a random planar curve describing the scaling limits of interfaces in many statistical physics models. Liouville conformal field theory (LCFT) is the quantum field theory underlying LQG. Each of these satisfies conformal invariance or covariance. This thesis proves exact formulas in random conformal geometry; we highlight a few here. The Brownian annulus describes the scaling limit of uniform random planar maps with the annulus topology, and is the canonical annular 𝛾-LQG surface with 𝛾 = √︀8/3. We obtain the law of its modulus, which is as predicted from the ghost partition function in bosonic string theory. The conformal loop ensemble (CLE) is a random collection of loops in the plane which locally look like SLE, corresponding to the scaling limit of all interfaces in several important statistical mechanics models. We derive the three-point nesting statistic of simple CLE on the sphere. It agrees with the imaginary DOZZ formula of Zamolodchikov (2005) and Kostov-Petkova (2007), which is the three-point structure constant of the generalized minimal model conformal field theories. We compute the one-point bulk structure constant for LCFT on the disk, thereby proving the formula proposed by Fateev, Zamolodchikov and Zamolodchikov (2000). This is a disk analog of the DOZZ constant for the sphere. Our result represents the first step towards solving LCFT on surfaces with boundary via the conformal bootstrap. Our arguments depend on the interplay between LQG, SLE and LCFT. Firstly, LQG behaves well under conformal welding with SLE curves as the interfaces. Secondly, LCFT and LQG give complementary descriptions of the same geometry. Ph.D. 2022-08-29T16:34:48Z 2022-08-29T16:34:48Z 2022-05 2022-06-07T15:33:50.345Z Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145126 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1859-4313 In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted Copyright MIT http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/ application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Ang, Jie Jun
Integrability in random conformal geometry
title Integrability in random conformal geometry
title_full Integrability in random conformal geometry
title_fullStr Integrability in random conformal geometry
title_full_unstemmed Integrability in random conformal geometry
title_short Integrability in random conformal geometry
title_sort integrability in random conformal geometry
url https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145126
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1859-4313
work_keys_str_mv AT angjiejun integrabilityinrandomconformalgeometry