Problem Set 1

Ben Elder

Problem 1: Spinning String in Anti-de Sitter Space

Assuming that the string has fixed length 4, and fixed rotation speed = , just like in Minkowski
space, we can calculate the induced metric. Just like in Minkowski space, we can set our coordinates
so that only one angular coordinate is non-zero.
ds2 = R2 cosh2 ()dt2 + R2 d2 + R2 sinh2 ()d2

(1)

Restricting to the surface of the motion

cosh2 () 0
0

0
1
0
= R2
2
0
0 sinh ()

= G

(2)

Set worldsheet coordinates (, ) = (t, ). Calculating induced metric elements, using t = t =

= 0, we get:
ab = R

cosh2 () + sinh2 () 2 0
0
1

= |ab | = R2 cosh2 () + R2 sinh2 () 2

(3)

(4)

So we have the Nambu-Goto action:

Z
SN G = 4T

Z
dt

max

q
dR cosh2 () sinh2 ()2

(5)

(or ), we get:
Varying the action w.r.t. ,
d
dt

0=

Z
= 0 = J = 4T R
0

max

sinh2
d q
cosh2 sinh2 2

S
S
=
= cosh2 max = sinh2 max 2
max
max
1

(6)

(7)

max

E = 4T

L)
d(

(8)

L
R sinh2
=q

cosh2 sinh2 2

max

= E = 4T R
0

cosh2
d q
2
max
cosh2 sinh2 cosh
2
sinh max

(10)

max
sinh2 cosh
sinh max

max

(9)

d q
2
max
cosh2 sinh2 cosh
2
sinh max

J = 4T R
0

(11)

Using the expansion coth(1/x) 1 + 2e2/x = coth(max ) 1 + 2e2max .

max

= E 4T R

d q

Z
J 4T R
0

max

cosh2


4T R

cosh2 sinh2 (1 + 2e2max )2

sinh2 (1 + 2e2max )

d q
4T R
cosh2 sinh2 (1 + 2e2max )2

5 2max 1
e
+ 2max
32
4

5 2max 1
e
2max
32
4

= E J 4T Rmax


(12)


(13)

(14)

In the large string limit.

Problem 2: Special Conformal Transformations

a
Use the transformation law for the metric tensor. The requirement that the flat metric change by
only a scale factor gives:
0

0
g
=

x x
x x
g
=
(x)g
=

=
(x)

x0 x0
x x

Define g(x) = (1 + 2a x + a2 x2 ). Then:

(15)

x x
(x)
(x)
=
[( + 2x a )g (x + x2 a )(2a + 2a2 x )]

4
x x
g
[( + 2x a )g (x + x2 a )(2a + 2a2 x )] (16)

(x)
[( + 2x a )g (x + x2 a )(2a + 2a2 x )][( + 2x a )g (x + x2 a )(2a + 2a2 x )] (17)
4
g
Term 1: ( + 2x a )( + 2x a )g 2 = ( + 2x a + 2x a + 4a2 x x )g 2

(18)

Term 2: ( +2x a )(x +x2 a )(2a +2a2 x )g = 2x (a +a2 x )g 2 2x2 (a +a2 x )(a +a2 x )g
(19)
Term 3: (x + x2 a )(2a + 2a2 x )( + 2x a )g = 2x (a + a2 x )g 2 2x2 (a + a2 x )(a + a2 x )g
(20)
Term 4: (x + x2 a )(2a + 2a2 x )(x + x2 a )(2a + 2a2 x ) = 4x2 g(a + a2 x )(a + a2 x ) (21)
Adding terms 1 through 4 leaves only g 2 . So
(x)g 2
= = (x) = (1 + 2a x + a2 x2 )2
4
g

(22)

b
Define z = x1 + ix2 and w = a1 + ia2 . This gives x2 = x21 + x22 = |z|2 and a x = a1 x1 + a2 x2 =
1
(wz
+ w
z ).
2
z z0 =

(x1 + x2 a1 ) + i(x2 + x2 a2 )
z + |z|2 w
=
1 + 2a x + a2 x2
1 + wz
+ w
z + |w|2 |z|2

(x1 + x2 a1 ) i(x2 + x2 a2 )
z + |z|2 w
z
=
1 + 2a x + a2 x2
1 + wz
+ w
z + |w|2 |z|2
z0 =

z(1 + zw)
z
=

1 + zw + (1 + zw)(
z w)
1 + wz

(23)

(24)

(25)

We can combine rotations and dilations into multiplication by a single complex number. Then the
transformations made up from translations, rotations, dilations, and special conformal transformations are the linear fractional transformations
z z0 =

az + b
cz + d

a, b, c, d C

(26)


a b
We can write these in matrix notation,
. Combining the generators of complex scalings
c
d




w
0
1 w

, translations
, and special conformal trans(rotations and dilations),
0 1/ w
0 1


1 0
formations
, we can get any transformation in the subgroup. These matrices all have
w 1
det = 1, so the composition of any number of them also has det=1. The group of complex 2x2
matrices with determinant 1 is SL(2, C). However, scaling all four numbers a,b,c,d by the same
factor leaves us with the same transformation. So we need to mod out by an overall scaling, which
gives us the projective special linear group, P SL(2, C).

Problem 3: bc CFT
We have the action
1
S=
2

d2 zbc

(27)

for primary fields b, weight (, 0), and c, weight (1 , 0). To use the usual Noether trick where
we find the conserved current by considering the parameter of the symmetry transformation to
be a function of spacetime, here we need to promote (z) (z, z). So we have a conformal
transformation z z 0 = z + (z, z). The infinitesimal variation of the fields is, as usual:

)O (z, z)O
 O = O0 (z) O(z) = O0 (z 0 ) O(z) (z, z)O(z) = h()O h(

1
=
2


+ b
c = 1
d z  bc
2
2



+ b((1

d2 z (()b b)c
)()c c

(28)

(29)

by parts to move the , all terms except the ones

Distributing and integrating the term bc

proportional to  cancel, as expected since this action is conformally invariant. We are left with:

1
2

1
b()c

d z (1 )b( )c
=
2
2

d2 z [(1 )(bc) bc] 

Z
1
(30)
d2 z [(b)c (bc)] 
=
2

Which gives us the conserved current, which is the holomorphic part of the energy momentum
tensor. At the quantum level, we define the product of fields by the normal ordered product,
T (z) =: (b)c : : (bc) : . Now, compute the OPE of T (z)T (0), ignoring nonsingular terms.
First, we need the individual Wick contractions of fields

b(z)c(0) =

1
z

(b(z))c(0) = (c(z))b(0) =

1
z2

b(z)(c(0)) = c(z)(b(0)) =

(c(z))(b(0)) = (b(z))(c(0)) =

1
z2

2
z3

(31)

(32)

Ok, the messy part:

T (z)T (0) = [: (b(z))c(z) : : (b(z)c(z)) :][: (b(0))c(0) : : (b(0)c(0)) :]

(33)

Inserting the Wick contractions from above and calculating one term at a time:
: (b(z))c(z) :: (b(0))c(0) :

1
1
1
c(z)(b(0)) + 2 (b(z))c(0) 4
2
z
z
z

(34)

Expand the fields evaluated at z in a power series keeping up to the linear term:
=

z
1
z
1
1
c(0)(b(0)) 2 (c(0))(b(0)) + 2 (b(0))c(0) + 2 ( 2 b(0))c(0) 4
2
z
z
z
z
z

(35)

1
2
1
+ 2 (b(0))c(0) + [(b(0))c(0)]
4
z
z
z

(36)

=
The order terms are:


1
1
1
Term 1 2 : (b(z))c(z) :: (b(0))c(0) := 2 2 c(z)(b(0)) + 2 (b(z))c(0) 4
z
z
z






1
1
1
2
= 2 2 (b(0)) c(0) + z(c(0)) + 2 (b(0)) + z( b(0)) c(0) 4
z
z
z
4
2
2
= 4 + 2 (b(0))c(0) + [(b(0))c(0)] (37)
z
z
z


2
1
2
Term 2 : b(z)(c(z)) :: (b(0))c(0) := 3 b(z)c(0) + (c(z))(b(0)) 4
z
z
z


2
2
2
1
4 3 b(0)c(0) 2 (b(0))c(0) + (c(0))(b(0)) (38)
z
z
z
z


2
1
2
Term 3 : b(z)(c(z)) :: (b(0))c(0) := 3 b(z)c(0) + (c(z))(b(0)) 4
z
z
z


2
2
2
1
4 3 b(0)c(0) 2 (b(0))c(0) + (c(0))(b(0)) (39)
z
z
z
z
5

The 2 term only gives the contribution 2 6

. Adding these up, and using T (0) =: (b)c : :
z4
(bc) :, we get
T (z)T (0)

c
2
1
+ 2 T (0) + T (0)
4
2z
z
z

(40)

With c = 2(1 + 2 + 2 + 2 62 ) = 3(2 1)2 + 1. For = 2, this gives c = 26.

Problem 4: Free Fermion Theory

a
For the free fermion theory with action S =
(Laurent) expansion

i =

i , we can expand the fermion fields in a mode

d2 zi

X
rZ

(i),r z r 2

(41)

In order to obtain the standard fermion field anti-commutation relations, {i , j } = ij and {i , j } =

{ i , j } = 0, we need to require the mode coefficient operators to satisfy the anti-commutation relations
(j)
{(i),n , m
} = ij m+n,0

(i)
and {(i),m , (j),n } = {m
, n(j) } = 0

(42)

The positive modes are annihilation operators, the negative modes are creation operators. This
means that for n > 0, (i),n |0i = 0 and h0|(i),n = 0. Assuming the fields are radially ordered:
1

h0|i (z) j (w)|0i =

z m 2 wn 2 h(i),m n(j) i =

z m 2 wn 2 h(i),m n(j) i

mZ+ + 21 ,nZ + 12

m,nZ+ 12

(43)
We can turn the operator product into an anti-commutator because the missing term of the anticommutator annihilates the vacuum anyway.

mZ

mZ

+ + 1 ,n + 1
2
2

X
mZ+ 12

m 12

1
wm 2 ij

X
mZ+

m1

wm ij

z m 2 wn 2 h{(i),m n(j) }i =

z m 2 wn 2 ij m+n,0

(44)

+ + 1 ,n + 1
2
2



1
ij
ij X  w m ij
=
=
=
z
z
z 1 w/z
zw
+

(45)

mZ

In the last line we shifted m m + 12 , which doesnt cause any problems once we have eliminated
all the operators in the expression, and used |z| > |w| to sum. The same calculation gives the other
two-point functions, which vanish due to the anti-commutation relations.
6

b
We have a current Ji j (z) =: i j : (z). Since this is a current, it has conformal weight 1, and we
can expand it in a mode expansion, plug in the mode expansions for the fermion fields, and compare
to find the mode operators of J.
Ji j (z) =

X
rZ

j r1
Ji,r
z
=

m,nZ

nZ

(46)

+ 12

= Ji,rj (z) =

j
: i,n m
: z mn1

: i,rn nj :

(47)

+ 12

Now we need the commutator of two of these. Since we know that for r 6= 0, the operators in the
current anti-commute, we can drop the normal ordering for all of the terms in the sum unless r =
0. Calculating this gives an infinite constant.

: i,n nj := i j

nZ+ 12

i,n nj + i j

n 12

j
i,n n
= i j

{i,n , nj } + i j

n 21

n+ 12

j
{i,n , n
}

n+ 21

(48)
=

X
nZ

ij n+n,0

(49)

+ 21

This constant drops out of the commutators. So we will write them without normal ordering.

v
= [Ji,rj , Ju,s
]=

j
[i,rm m
, u,sn nv ] =

m,nZ+ 12

j
j
i,rm m
u,sn nv u,sn nv i,rm m

m,nZ+ 12

(50)
=

X
m,nZ

j
j
j
i,rm {m
, u,sn }nv i,rm u,sn m
nv u,sn nv i,rm m

X
m,nZ

X
m,nZ

(51)

+ 21
j
j
i,rm {m
, u,sn }nv u,sn {nv , i,rm }m

(52)

+ 12

j
=
i,rm uj m+sn,0 nv u,sn iv n+rm,0 m

X
nZ

+ 21

j
i,r+sn uj nv u,sn iv n+r

(53)

+ 21

Now we want to normal order these products to get currents on the right side. Consider the first
term. There is no ambiguity with the ordering unless v=i and r+s-n +n = r+s = 0. In the second
term, the same happens when j=u and s-n + n+r = s+r = 0. In this case, we get infinite constants
just like in the calculation above. Shifting the summation index by r in the first of these terms gives
us:
7

v
[Ji,rj , Ju,s
] = ruj iv r+s,0 + uj

X
nZ

= ruj iv r+s,0 + uj

X
nZ

+ 12

: i,r+sn nv : iv

nZ+ 21

: i,r+sn nv : iv

j
: u,sn n+r
:

(54)

+ 12

j
v
: u,s+rn nj := ruj iv r+s,0 + uj Ji,s+r
iv Ju,s+r

nZ+ 12

(55)
The zero modes satisfy:
j
v
v
[Ji,0j , Ju,0
] = uj Ji,0
iv Ju,0

(56)

This algebra is U(N).

c
Compute the OPE. I cant get the Wick contraction package on Latex to work, so use (ab) to denote
a contracted with b. Conveniently, we already have the two-point functions.

Ji j (z)Juv (w) : i (z) j (z) :: u (w) v (w) :

(i (z) v (w))( j (z)u (w)) + (i (z) v (w)) : j (z)u (w) : + : i (z) v (w) : ( j (z)u (w)) (57)

iv uj
iv
uj
iv uj
iv
uj
j
v
j
v
+
:

(z)
(w)
:
+
:

(z)
(w)
:

+
J
(w)+J
(w)
u
i
u
i
(z w)2 z w
zw
(z w)2 z w
zw
(58)

Note that when we do a power series expansion for J(z) about z=w, we only need to keep the first
term since the second term is non-singular, in contrast to the OPE of the energy-momentum tensor
in the last problem.

d
Use the standard trick to compute the Noether current for an infinitesimal conformal transformation,
just like in problem 4:
Z
S =

i + i
i] =
d z[i
2

1
i + i (
1  i  i )]
d2 z[( i i )
2
2

(59)

cancel, since for  a holomorphic function,

It is easy to tell that all the terms not proportional to 
this is a symmetry of the action. This leaves:

d2 z[ (i i ) i i ]
2

= T (z) =


1
: (i ) i : : i ( i ) :
2

(60)

(61)

As always, we needed to use normal ordering on the products of operators to make these products
well defined. The central charge comes from the part of the OPE T (z)T (w) with all of the fields
Wick contracted. Each of these is proportional to ij and (z w)4 . Derivatives at w gives negative
signs.
1
ij
ij
[1 + 1 + 1 + 1]
=
4
(z w)4
2(z w)4

(62)

So for each fermion, that is each i in the sum, we add 1 to the central charge. In a theory with N
complex fermions, we get c=N.

e
For a real fermion, the mode expansion, propagator, and current are all exactly the same, except
that the fermion is equal to its complex conjugate, so there is no difference between upper and
lower indices. When we computed the mode algebra for the complex fermion, anti-commutators
with both lower indices or both upper indices vanished. This is not the case for real fermions, so
we have to include these. So, adding terms with these indices switched
v
[Ji,rj , Ju,s
]=

(63)

j
j
i,rm {m
, u,sn }nv i,rm {m
, nv }u,sn

m,nZ+ 12
j
j
u,sn {nv , i,rm }m
+ nv {u,sn , i,rm }m
(64)

Finishing the computation with these terms gives us the algebra.

j
jv
v
v
[Ji,rj , Ju,s
] = r(uj iv vj ui )r+s,0 + uj Ji,s+r
jv Jui,s+r iv Ju,s+r
+ ui Js+r

(65)

The zero modes satisfy:

j
v
v
+ ui J0jv
[Ji,0j , Ju,0
] = uj Ji,0
jv Jui,0 iv Ju,0

(66)

So we get different structure constants, and therefore a different mode algebra. These are the
defining relations for the algebra SO(N).