nLab Polyakov action

Idea

The Polyakov action functional or energy functional is a standard kinetic action functional for sigma models with worldvolume $(\Sigma,g)$ and target spacetime $(X,\mu)$ (pseudo)Riemannian manifolds. Its critical points are the harmonic maps from $\Sigma$ to $X$

With a suitable “worldvolume cosmological constant” added and with the worldvolume metric “integrated out”, then the Polyakov action is classically equivalent to the Nambu-Goto action functional, which is simply the “proper volume” function for images of $\Sigma$ in $Y$. But as opposed to the Nambu-Goto action the Polyakov action is quadratic in derivatives. Therefore it is lends itself better to perturbation theory of scattering amplitudes – where the kinetic contributions have to be Gaussian integrals – such as in worldline formalism for quantum field theory as well as in perturbative string theory.

On the other hand, the Nambu-Goto action lends itself better to generalizations such as the Dirac-Born-Infeld action for D-branes.

Definition

Let

• $p \in \mathbb{N}$ (for p-brane dynamics),

• $(X,\mu)$ a pseudo-Riemannian manifold (target spacetime),

• $\Sigma$ a compact smooth manifold (with boundary) of dimension $(p+1)$ (worldvolume),

• $[\Sigma,X]$ the diffeological space of smooth functions $\Sigma \to X$,

• $Met(\Sigma)$ the moduli space of (pseudo)Riemannian metrics $g$ on $\Sigma$.

The Polyakov action is the smooth function

$$S_{Pol} \;\colon\; [\Sigma,X]\times Met(\Sigma) \longrightarrow \mathbb{R}$$

which on a map $\phi \colon \Sigma \to X$ and a metric $g$ on $\Sigma$ is given by the integral

$$S_{Pol}(\phi,g) \coloneqq \int_\Sigma \Vert d\phi\Vert^2 dvol_g$$

where the derivative $d \phi \in \Gamma(T^\ast \Sigma\otimes \phi^\ast T X)$, and where the norm $\Vert - \Vert$ is given jointly by the metrics $g$ and $\mu$ of $\Sigma$ and $X$.

When both $\Sigma$ and $X$ are covered by single coordinate charts $(\sigma^a)_{a = 0}^p$ and $(x^\mu)$, then this reads

$$S_{Pol}(\phi,g) = \int_{\Sigma} \sqrt{det g} \left( g^{a b} \eta_{\mu \nu} (\partial_a \phi^\mu) (\partial_b \phi^\nu) \right) d \sigma^0 \cdots d \sigma^p$$

with a sum over repeated indices understood. Here $det g$ denotes the absolute value of the determinant of $(g_{a b})$ (often written $-det g$ in the pseudo-Riemannian case.)

Properties

Relation to Nambu-Goto action

The Polyakov action with a suitable worldvolume cosmological constant term added is classically equivalent to the Nambu-Goto action (e.g. Nieto 01, section 2).

This on-shell equivalence is exhibited by the smooth function

$$\tilde S \;\colon\; [\Sigma,X] \times Met(\Sigma)\times \Gamma(T \Sigma \otimes T \Sigma \otimes Dens \Sigma) \longrightarrow \mathbb{R}$$

which on a triple $(\phi,g,\Lambda)$ is given by

$$\tilde S(\phi,g,\Lambda) \coloneqq \int_\Sigma \left( dvol(g) + \Lambda( \vert d \phi \vert^2 - g) \right) \,,$$

where now $\vert d\phi \vert^2$ denotes the square norm only with respect to the metric on $X$.

Because, on the one hand, the equations of motion induced by $\tilde S$ for variation of $\Lambda$ are

$$\vert d \phi \vert^2 - g = 0$$

and substituting that constraint back into $\tilde S$ gives the Nambu-Goto action. On the other hand, the equations of motion induced by $\tilde S$ for variation of $g$ are

$$\tfrac{1}{2}g^{-1}dvol(g) - \Lambda = 0$$

and substituting that back into $\tilde S$ gives

$$\tfrac{1}{2}\int_\Sigma \left( \Vert d \phi\Vert^2 + (p-1) \right) dvol(g)$$

which is the Polyakov action with “cosmological constant” $(p-1)$.

(So the case where this cosmological constant correction disappears is $p = 1$ corresponding to the string.)

Related concepts

• minimal surface

• bosonic string

• Liouville theory

• Nambu-Goto action

References

The Polyakov action is named after

• Alexander Polyakov, Quantum geometry of bosonic strings, Phys. Lett. B 103 (1981) 207-210 [doi:10.1016/0370-2693(81)90743-7, pdf]

where it is discussed for the bosonic string and related to Liouville theory, and

• Alexander Polyakov, Quantum geometry of fermionic strings, Physics Letters B 103 3 (1981) 211-213 [doi:10.1016/0370-2693(81)90744-9]

where it is generalized to the superstring, but in fact (cf. Polyakov (2008), p. 3) it originates already in discussion of the spinning string in:

• Stanley Deser, Bruno Zumino, A complete action for the spinning string, Physics Letters B 65 4 (1976) 369-373 [doi:10.1016/0370-2693(76)90245-8pdf]

• Lars Brink, Paolo Di Vecchia, Paul Howe, A locally supersymmetric and reparametrization invariant action for the spinning string , Physics Letters B 65 Issue 5, 20 (1976) 471-474 [doi:10.1016/0370-2693(76)90445-7]

Further early discussion of the Polyakov action:

• Jean-Loup Gervais, André Neveu, The dual string spectrum in Polyakov’s quantization (I), Nuclear Physics B 199 1 (1982) 59-76 [doi:10.1016/0550-3213(82)90566-1]

• Jean-Loup Gervais, André Neveu, Dual string spectrum in Polyakov’s quantization (II). Mode separation, Nuclear Physics B 209 1 (1982) 125-145 [doi:10.1016/0550-3213(82)90105-5]

• Subhashis Nag, Mathematics in and out of String Theory, Topology and Teichmüller Spaces (1996) 187-220 [arXiv:alg-geom/9512010, doi:10.1142/9789814503921_0011]

and further discussion of the related Liouville theory:

• Colin Guillarmou, Rémi Rhodes, Vincent Vargas, Polyakov’s formulation of 2d bosonic string theory, Publ. Math. IHES 130 (2019) 111–185 [arXiv:1607.08467, doi:10.1007/s10240-019-00109-6]

Detailed discussion of the relation to the Nambu-Goto action and the Dirac-Born-Infeld action

• J. A. Nieto, Remarks on Weyl invariant p-branes and Dp-branes (arXiv:hep-th/0110227)

Review:

• Igor Dolgachev, pp, 43, 51 in: Introduction to string theory for mathematicians, lecture at 1999 Summer on Algebraic Geometry and Physics (1999) [pdf, pdf]

and mathematical details:

• Jürgen Jost, Bosonic Strings: A Mathematical Treatment, AMS/IP Stud. Adv. Math. 21 (2001) [ISBBN:978-0-8218-4336-9, spire:1388134]

See also

• Wikipedia, Polyakov action

Discussion of the Polyakov action and Nambu-Goto action on worldsheets with boundary (i.e. in the generality of open strings) and cast in BV-BRST formalism:

• S. Martinoli, Michele Schiavina, BV analysis of Polyakov and Nambu–Goto theories with boundary, Lett. Math. Phys. 112 35 (2022) [doi:10.1007/s11005-022-01526-1, arXiv:2106.02983]

On the Polyakov model as the continuum limit of a sequence of particles coupled by harmonic nearest neighbour interaction:

• Leonard Susskind: (24) ff in: Structure of Hadrons Implied by Duality, Phys. Rev. D 1 (1970) 1182 [doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.1.1182]

  (often credited as one of the origins of string theory)

• Igor Klebanov, Leonard Susskind: Continuum Strings From Discrete Field Theories, Nucl. Phys. B 309 (1988) 175-187 [doi:10.1016/0550-3213(88)90237-4]

• Renann Lipinski Jusinskas: Strings as particle arrays [arXiv:2407.08638]