Theory of fundamental interaction

Contents

Conformal field theory in 2 dimensions is among the most important instruments of modern theoretical physics. There are applications in string theory as well as in solid state physics. The lecture starts with the basics of conformal field theory and some important examples (bosonic string, Ising model, etc.). Relevant items are the group representation of the Virasoro algebra of generators of infinitesimal conformal transformations, supersymmetric extensions of the conformal algebra, calculations of correlation functions, module invariance, fusion agebras, vertex operator algebras. Thus, the lecture exemplifies the thinking of modern mathematical physics.