Around the semi-classical limit of boundary Liouville conformal field theory

Abstract

Liouville conformal field theory describes a random geometry that fluctuates around a deterministic one: the unique solution of the problem of finding, within a given conformal class, a Riemannian metric with prescribed scalar and geodesic curvatures as well as conical singularities and corners. The level of randomness in Liouville theory is measured by the coupling constant $\gamma\in(0,2)$, the semi-classical limit corresponding to taking $\gamma\to0$. Based on the probabilistic definition of Liouville theory, we prove that this semi-classical limit exists and does give rise to this deterministic geometry. At second order this limit is described in terms of a massive Gaussian free field with Robin boundary conditions. This in turn allows to implement CFT-inspired techniques in a deterministic setting: in particular we define the classical stress-energy tensor, show that it can be expressed in terms of accessory parameters (written as regularized derivatives of the Liouville action), and that it gives rise to classical higher equations of motion.