Aspects of Chiral Symmetry and the Lattice

Abstract

I explore the non-perturbative issues entwining lattice gauge theory, anomalies, and chiral symmetry. After briefly reviewing the importance of chiral symmetry in particle physics, I discuss how anomalies complicate lattice formulations. Considerable information can be deduced from effective chiral Lagrangians, helping interpret the expectations for lattice models and elucidating the role of the CP violating parameter $\Theta$. I then turn to a particularly elegant scheme for exploring this physics on the lattice. This uses an auxiliary extra space-time dimension, with the physical world being a four dimensional interface.