Gauge Theory On The Fuzzy Torus

Abstract

In this paper a formulation of U(1) gauge theory on a fuzzy torus is discussed. The theory is regulated in both the infrared and ultraviolet. It can be thought of as a non-commutative version of lattice gauge theory on a periodic lattice. The construction of Wilson loops is particularly transparent in this formulation. Following Ishibashi, Iso, Kawai and Kitazawa, we show that certain Fourier modes of open Wilson lines are gauge invariant. We also introduce charged matter fields which can be thought of as fundamentals of the gauge group. These particles behave like charges in a strong magnetic field and are frozen into the lowest Landau levels. The resulting system is a simple matrix quantum mechanics which should reflect much of the physics of charged particles in strong magnetic fields. The present results were first presented as a talk at the Institute for Mathematical Science, Chennai, India; the author wishes to thank Prof. T. R. Govindarajan and the IMS for hospitality and financial support, and the audience for pointing me out the work of Ambjorn, Makeenko, Nishimura and Szabo. The author is also grateful to the organizers of the Summer School in Modern Mathematical Physics, Sokobanja, Serbia, Yugoslavia, for financial support and hospitality during presentation of the present work at international conference FILOMAT 2001, Nis, Yugoslavia.