TFT construction of RCFT correlators I: Partition functions

Abstract

We formulate rational conformal field theory in terms of a symmetric special Frobenius algebra A and its representations. A is an algebra in the modular tensor category of Moore-Seiberg data of the underlying chiral CFT. The multiplication on A corresponds to the OPE of boundary fields for a single boundary condition. General boundary conditions are A-modules, and (generalised) defect lines are A-A-bimodules. The relation with three-dimensional TFT is used to express CFT data, like structure constants or torus and annulus coefficients, as invariants of links in three-manifolds. We compute explicitly the ordinary and twisted partition functions on the torus and the annulus partition functions. We prove that they satisfy consistency conditions, like modular invariance and NIM-rep properties. We suggest that our results can be interpreted in terms of non-commutative geometry over the modular tensor category of Moore-Seiberg data.