Chapter 74

BF theory

74.1 BF theory and relativity

References for BF theory, Palatini formalism and spin foam models are [577, 578, 579, 580].
Let M be a smooth n-dimensional manifold and consider the principal bundle

G /P (74.1)

✏
M

with G being a connected semisimple Lie group with Lie algebra G. We consider the following as
the basics fields of the theory:
— a connection Ê on P ,
— a AdpP q-valued pn ´ 2q-form E on M .
In order to form the wedge product E ^ F , we express both fields as G-valued forms on M using a
local coordinate chart ‡– : U– Ñ P (see pages 2344 and 2353 ). We pose A– “ ‡–˚ Ê and F– “ ‡–˚
where is the curvature ô of Ê.
There exists a ÷ P n´2 Tx˚ M such that Epxq “ r›, Xs b ÷; using the same section ‡– , we find
an element X– P G by the condition

Epxq “ r‡– pxq, X– s b ÷.

Hence we see E as a pn ´ 2q form with values in G as

E– pX1 , ¨ ¨ ¨ , Xn´2 q “ ÷pX1 , ¨ ¨ ¨ , Xn´2 qX– pxq. (74.2)

We are now able, using the wedge product of subsection 53.2, to see E– ^ F– as a n-form with
values in G b G. The use of the Killing form G b G Ñ is what we write Tr. From now we drop
all indices of local coordinates.
When we write E ^ F , we mean the 4-form defined by

pE ^ F qpv1 , v2 , v3 , v4 q “ Epv1 , v2 q b F pv3 , v4 q ´ Epv1 , v3 q b F pv2 , v4 q

` Epv1 , v4 q b F pv2 , v3 q ` Epv2 , v3 q b F pv1 , v4 q
´ Epv2 , v4 q b F pv1 , v2 q ` Epv3 , v4 q b F pv1 , v2 q.

Obviously E ^ F ‰ F ^ E, but taking the trace (i.e changing the tensor product by the Killing
form),
TrpE ^ F ` F ^ Eq “ 2 TrpE ^ F q. (74.3)
The action that we want to study first is
ª
SpE, Êq “ TrpE ^ F q (74.4)
M

2851
2852 CHAPTER 74. BF THEORY

where F is the curvature associated with the connection Ê. When we vary that action with respect
to E, i.e. when we impose
d” ı
SpE ` tE 1 , Êq “0
dt t“0
for every pn ´ 2q form E 1 , we find F “ 0 as equation of motion. A small computation shows that
d” ı
F pÊ ` tÊ 1 q “ dA1 ` A ^ A1 “ dA A1 ,
dt t“0

where dA denotes the exterior covariant derivative associated with the connection Ê. Now the
action principle imposes that for every connection Ê 1 ,
ª ª
d” ı
0“ SpE, Ê ` tÊ q1
“ TrpE ^ dA A q “
1
TrpdA E ^ A1 q
dt t“0 M M

where we used an integral by part. So the equation of motion are

F “0 and dA E “ 0. (74.5)

The inclusion of a cosmological constant in the game is done by modifying the action as
ª
` ˘
SBF pA, Eq “ Tr E ^ F ` E ^ E . (74.6)
M 12
Using the remark above, the equations of motion for the BF action are

dA E “ 0 and F` E “ 0. (74.7)
6
≥
The BF action with vanishing cosmological constant, SBF pÊ, Eq “ M TrpE ^ F q has an inter-
esting symmetry. Let ÷ be a pn ´ 3q-AdpP q-valued form, and consider the transformation

A fiÑ A and E fiÑ E ` dA ÷. (74.8)

We have ª ª
` ˘ ` ˘
Tr E ^ F ` dA ÷ ^ F “ Tr E ^ F ` p´1qn´3`1 ÷ ^ dA F
M M
where we used an integral by part. The Bianchi identity dA F “ 0 makes the last term vanishes,
so that transformation (74.8) actually is a symmetry of the Palatini action without cosmological
constant.

74.2 Palatini formalism

Let M be a smooth four dimensional manifold on which we consider an oriented vector bundle T
which is isomorphic to T M (without being canonically isomorphic) endowed with a nondegenerate
metric ÷ with fixed signature. We say that T is the internal space and that ÷ is the internal
metric.
The basic fields of the theory are
— a T -valued 1-form e on M ,
— and a metric-preserving connection Ò on T .
One can define a metric on M from the internal metric by the formula
` ˘
gpX, Y q “ ÷ epXq, epY q . (74.9)

In order to do that, we have to see e as a∞map e : T M Ñ T . We know that e P pT b T ˚ M q, so

that for each x P M , we can write epxq “ i vi b Êi , so that we define
ÿ
epxqX “ Êi pXqvi
i
74.2. PALATINI FORMALISM 2853

for all X P Tx M . Notice that g is nondegenerate if and only if e is an isomorphism.

ô We are now going to express the basic fields as forms with ˚values in the exterior algebra bundle
T . For e, it is easy: if epxq “ vi b Êi , we consider epxq “ vi b Êi .
We know from propositions 53.22 and 53.26 that, with a choice of a local trivialization, the
connection can be expressed in terms of a glpV q-valued 1-form A– on U– Ä M where V is the
vector space on which T is modeled. Here, the connection form takes its values in sop÷q because
of the assumption of metric preserving. ô2 ˚
Passing to the curvature,ô2 we have F P psop÷q b T M q. Now an element of G “ sop÷q can
be seen as an element of T by the following formula:

Spv, wq “ ÷pv, Swq ´ ÷pSv, wq (74.10)

where S P sop÷q and v, w P Tx . In fact, the knowledge of that 2-form allows to rebuild the element
S because when v and w run over a basis tei u of V , we find the numbers

pSej qi ´ pSei qi “ Sij ´ Sji “ 2Sij

because S has to be skew symmetric.

ô4 The orientation of M provides an ô everywhere non vanishing volume form, this is an
4 ô4element of
T . Now if — is another element of T , it has to be a multiple of µ. When H is a T -valued
n-form on M , we define TrpHq as the usual n-form on M defined by

HpX1 , ¨ ¨ ¨ , Xn q “ TrpHqpX1 , ¨ ¨ ¨ , Xn qµ.

Now the following action, which is the Palatini action, makes sense as integral of a n-form on a
n-dimensional manifold:
ª ˆ ˙
SP al pÒ, eq “ Tr e ^ e ^ F ` e ^ e ^ e ^ e . (74.11)
M 12
ô
Here the wedge product is a composition
ô of wedge product as forms with values in T and the
wedge product as elements of T , so that

pe ^ f qpX, Y q “ epXq ^ f pyq ´ epY q ^ f pXq

ô
where the wedge of the right hand side is taken in the sense of T , so that we actually have
e ^ f “ f ^ e. The variation with respect to Ò provides the equation of motion

dA pe ^ eq “ 0, (74.12)

while the variation with respect to e provides

ª
d” ı ` ˘
0“ 1
SP al pÒ, e ` te q “ Tr 2e1 ^ e ^ F ` 4e1 ^ e ^ e ^ e ,
dt t“0 M 12
or
` ˘
e^ F ` e ^ e “ 0. (74.13)
3

74.2.1 Other point of view

Let M be the four dimensional physical space and E, a four dimensional vector bundle. We
suppose to know a local trivialization E “ M ˆ 4 and we consider the Lorentzian metric ÷ on
each of the 4 . Finally we consider a soldering form e: for each point x, the map ex : Tx M Ñ Ex is
an isomorphism. If Bi is the local basis of T M , we use the local basis ›i “ epBi q as local coordinates
on E.
These data allows us to define a metric on M by

gpx, Y q “ ÷peX, eY q. (74.14)

2854 CHAPTER 74. BF THEORY

The second dynamical variable will be an exterior derivative D on E. Any section s P pEq reads
spxq “ si ›i and the action of the exterior derivative reads
` ˘
DX s “ Xpsi q ` sj Êji pXq ›i . (74.15)

At this point, we cannot define a torsion for D because we do not have a canonical soldering form
on E. However we pose the hypothesis that D preserves the metric in the sense that
` ˘
dX ÷ps, tq “ ÷pDX s, tq ` ÷ps, DX tq (74.16)
` ˘ ` ˘
for all s, t P pEq. Since ÷ps, tq is´ a function on¯M , we have DX ÷ps, tq “ X ÷ps, tq . So we have
on the one hand ÷pDX s, tq “ ÷ij Xpsi q ` sk Êki tj and on the other hand,
` ˘ ` ˘
DX ÷ps, tq “ X i ÷kl Bi psk qtl ` sk Bi tl .

Putting these two expressions into (74.16), we find

÷ij Êki “ ´÷ki Êji , (74.17)

so that Ê P 1 pM, sop1, 3qq. Now we use the isomorphism e to build a connection on T M :
` ˘
ÒX Y “ e´1 DX peY q (74.18)

where we see eY as a section of E by peY qpxq “ epYx q. The Christoffel symbols of Ò and D
are defined as usual by ÒBi pBj q “ ˜ kij Bk , and Êjk pBi q “ kij . It is simple to see that numerically,
k “ ˜ k . Indeed
ij ij
` ˘
DBi p›j q “ ›k b Bi p”jk q ` ” ´ j l Êlk pBi q “ ›k b Ê ` j k pBi q “ ›k b k
ij ,
` ˘
so that ÒBj pBj q “ e´1 ›k b kij “ kij Bk .
The connection Ò is compatible with the metric because
` ˘ ` ˘
ÒZ gpX, Y q “ Z ÷peX, eY q
` ˘ ` ˘
“÷ D Z peXq , eY ` ÷ eX, DZ peY q
looomooon
“epÒ´ZXq

“ gpÒZ X, Y q ` gpX, ÒZ Y q.