Duality and Topological Mass Generation in Diverse Dimensions

Abstract

We shall discuss issues of duality and topological mass generation in diverse dimensions. Particular emphasis will be given to the mass generation mechanism from interference between self and anti self-dual components, as disclosed by the soldering formalism. This is a gauge embedding procedure derived from an old algorithm of second-class constraint conversion used by the author to approach anomalous gauge theories. The problem of classification of the electromagnetic duality groups, both massless and massive, that is closely related will be discussed. Particular attention will be paid to a new approach to duality based on the soldering embedding to tackle the problem of mass generation by topological mechanisms in arbitrary dimensions including the couplings to dynamical matter, nonlinear cases and nonabelian symmetries.