A-Genus and the Sigma Model

Abstract

This set of lecture notes presents a pedantic derivation of the connection between the $ {\hat A} $-genus of spacetime's loop space and the genus one partition function of the $ N=1/2 $ sigma model. It concludes with some remarks on possible generalizations of the $ {\hat A} $-genus which follow naturally from the `stringy' point-of-view but have yet to be explored mathematically. This set of lecture notes is geared towards a mathematical audience unfamiliar with the $ N=1/2 $ sigma model.