Abstract
We define a semi-infinite analogue of the Weil algebra associated an infinite-dimensional Lie algebra. It can be used for the definition of semi-infinite characteristic classes by analogy with the Chern-Weil construction. The second term of a spectral sequence of this Weil complex consists of the semi-infinite cohomology of the Lie algebra with coefficients in its "adjoint semi-infinite symmetric powers." We compute this cohomology for the Virasoro algebra. This is just the BRST cohomology of the bosonic βγ-system with central charge 26. We give a complete description of the Fock representations of this bosonic system as modules over the virasoro algebra, using Friedan-Martinec-Shenker bosonization. We derive a combinatorial identity from this result.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 617-639 |
Number of pages | 23 |
Journal | Communications in Mathematical Physics |
Volume | 137 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 1991 |
Externally published | Yes |