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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.13718 |
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| _version_ | 1866917085854040064 |
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| author | Smith, Philip Boyle Davighi, Joe |
| author_facet | Smith, Philip Boyle Davighi, Joe |
| contents | Gauging fermion parity and summing over spin structures are subtly distinct operations. We introduce 'bosonisation cohomology' groups $H_B^{d+2}(X)$ to capture this difference, for theories in spacetime dimension $d$ equipped with maps to some $X$. Non-trivial classes in $H_B^{d+2}(X)$ contain theories for which $(-1)^F$ is anomaly-free, but spin structure summation is anomalous. We formulate a sequence of cobordism groups whose failure to be exact is measured by $H_B^{d+2}(X)$, and from here we compute it for $X=\text{pt}$. The result is non-trivial only in dimensions $d\in 4\mathbb{Z}+2$, being due to the presence of gravitational anomalies. The first few are $H_B^4=\mathbb{Z}_2$, probed by a theory of 8 Majorana-Weyl fermions in $d=2$, then $H_B^8=\mathbb{Z}_8$, $H_B^{12}=\mathbb{Z}_{16}\times \mathbb{Z}_2$. We rigorously derive a general formula extending this to every spacetime dimension. Along the way, we compile many general facts about (fermionic and bosonic) anomaly polynomials, and about spin and pin$^-$ (co)bordism generators, that we hope might serve as a useful reference for physicists working with these objects. We briefly discuss some physics applications, including how the $H_B^{12}$ class is trivialised in supergravity. Despite the name, and notation, we make no claim that $H_B^\bullet(X)$ actually defines a cohomology theory (in the Eilenberg-Steenrod sense). |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_13718 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Bosonisation Cohomology: Spin Structure Summation in Every Dimension Smith, Philip Boyle Davighi, Joe High Energy Physics - Theory Strongly Correlated Electrons Gauging fermion parity and summing over spin structures are subtly distinct operations. We introduce 'bosonisation cohomology' groups $H_B^{d+2}(X)$ to capture this difference, for theories in spacetime dimension $d$ equipped with maps to some $X$. Non-trivial classes in $H_B^{d+2}(X)$ contain theories for which $(-1)^F$ is anomaly-free, but spin structure summation is anomalous. We formulate a sequence of cobordism groups whose failure to be exact is measured by $H_B^{d+2}(X)$, and from here we compute it for $X=\text{pt}$. The result is non-trivial only in dimensions $d\in 4\mathbb{Z}+2$, being due to the presence of gravitational anomalies. The first few are $H_B^4=\mathbb{Z}_2$, probed by a theory of 8 Majorana-Weyl fermions in $d=2$, then $H_B^8=\mathbb{Z}_8$, $H_B^{12}=\mathbb{Z}_{16}\times \mathbb{Z}_2$. We rigorously derive a general formula extending this to every spacetime dimension. Along the way, we compile many general facts about (fermionic and bosonic) anomaly polynomials, and about spin and pin$^-$ (co)bordism generators, that we hope might serve as a useful reference for physicists working with these objects. We briefly discuss some physics applications, including how the $H_B^{12}$ class is trivialised in supergravity. Despite the name, and notation, we make no claim that $H_B^\bullet(X)$ actually defines a cohomology theory (in the Eilenberg-Steenrod sense). |
| title | Bosonisation Cohomology: Spin Structure Summation in Every Dimension |
| topic | High Energy Physics - Theory Strongly Correlated Electrons |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.13718 |