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Dirac charge quantization and generalized differential cohomology

This entry is about the article

• Dan Freed, Dirac charge quantization and generalized differential cohomology Surveys in Differential Geometry, Int. Press, Somerville, MA, 2000, pp. 129–194 (arXiv:hep-th/0011220)

This discusses how differential cohomology – specifically ordinary differential cohomology and differential K-theory – is the correct formalism for describing gauge fields and higher gauge fields in physics and string theory (such as higher U(1)-gauge fields like the electromagnetic field, the Kalb-Ramond field and the supergravity C-field, and also the RR-field) and the quantum anomaly of their action functionals.

Related entries

• differential cohomology

  • ordinary differential cohomology

    • Deligne complex, Cheeger-Simons differential character

    • electromagnetism, B-field, C-field

      • Dirac charge quantization

  • differential K-theory, twisted K-theory, twisted differential K-theory

    • RR-fields

• quantum anomaly, Green-Schwarz mechanism

• electric-magnetic duality, self-dual higher gauge theory

• Quadratic Functions in Geometry, Topology, and M-Theory

• twisted smooth cohomology in string theory

  • Chern-Simons circle 3-bundle, Chern-Simons circle 7-bundle

category: reference