In many ways the last decade has witnessed a surge of interest in the interplay between theoretical physics and some traditional areas of pure mathematics. This book contains the lectures delivered at the NATO-ASI Summer School on `Recent Problems in Mathematical Physics' held at Salamanca, Spain (1992), offering a pedagogical and updated approach to some of the problems that have been at the heart of these events. Among them, we should mention the new mathematical structures related to integrability and quantum field theories, such as quantum groups, conformal field theories, integrable statistical models, and topological quantum field theories, that are discussed at length by some of the leading experts on the areas in several of the lectures contained in the book. Apart from these, traditional and new problems in quantum gravity are reviewed. Other contributions to the School included in the book range from symmetries in partial differential equations to geometrical phases in quantum physics. The book is addressed to researchers in the fields covered, PhD students and any scientist interested in obtaining an updated view of the subjects.

This volume contains the lectures given by the three speakers, M Jimbo, P P Kulish and E K Sklyanin, who are outstanding experts in their field. It is essential reading to those working in the fields of Quantum Groups, and Integrable Systems.

Integrable Sys Quantum Field Theory

This volume contains lectures on recent advances in the theory of integrable systems and quantum groups. It introduces the reader to attractive areas of current research.

Quantum groups have been studied intensively in mathematics and have found many valuable applications in theoretical and mathematical physics since their discovery in the mid-1980s. Roughly speaking, there are two prototype examples of quantum groups, denoted by Uq and Aq. The former is a deformation of the universal enveloping algebra of a Kac–Moody Lie algebra, whereas the latter is a deformation of the coordinate ring of a Lie group. Although they are dual to each other in principle, most of the applications so far are based on Uq, and the main targets are solvable lattice models in 2-dimensions or quantum field theories in 1+1 dimensions. This book aims to present a unique approach to 3-dimensional integrability based on Aq. It starts from the tetrahedron equation, a 3-dimensional analogue of the Yang–Baxter equation, and its solution due to work by Kapranov–Voevodsky (1994). Then, it guides readers to its variety of generalizations, relations to quantum groups, and applications. They include a connection to the Poincaré–Birkhoff–Witt basis of a unipotent part of Uq, reductions to the solutions of the Yang–Baxter equation, reflection equation, G2 reflection equation, matrix product constructions of quantum R matrices and reflection K matrices, stationary measures of multi-species simple-exclusion processes, etc. These contents of the book are quite distinct from conventional approaches and will stimulate and enrich the theories of quantum groups and integrable systems.

The Proceedings consists of 6 lectures each from Prof L Takhtajan and Prof F Smirnov which were presented during the workshop. Contents:Lectures on Integrable Massive Models of Quantum Field Theory (F A Smirnov):General Problems of the Quantum Field Theory. Completely Integrable ModelsSpace of States. Form Factors. A Set of Axioms for Form FactorsLocal Commutativity and Asymptotic ConditionsForm Factors in SU(2)-Invariant Thirring ModelNecessary Properties of the Currents Form Factors in SU(2)-Invariant Thirring ModelProperties of Currents in SU(2)-Invariant Thirring ModelLectures on Quantum Groups (L A Takhtajan):Historical Introduction. Algebraic BackgroundPoisson-Lie Groups, CYBE and Modified CYBE. Connection with ISM. Lie-Algebraic Meaning of CYBE and Modified CYBEQuantization Procedure as a Deformation of the Algebra of Classical ObservablesWeyl Quantization. Quantization of Poisson-Lie Groups Associated with CYBEQYBEQuantization of Poisson-Lie Groups Associated with Modified CYBE. Quantum Matrix Algebras. Quantum Determinant and Quantum Groups SL(n) and GL (n)Quantum Vector Spaces for the Quantum Groups SLq(n), GLq(n) and their Real Forms. Quantum Groups Oq(N), SPq(n), Quantum Vector Spaces Associated with them and their Real FormsQuantization of the Universal Enveloping Algebras of the Simple Lie Algebras. Elements of the Representations Theory Readership: Mathematical physicists. keywords:

The aim of this CIME Session was to review the state of the art in the recent development of the theory of integrable systems and their relations with quantum groups. The purpose was to gather geometers and mathematical physicists to allow a broader and more complete view of these attractive and rapidly developing fields. The papers contained in this volume have at the same time the character of survey articles and of research papers, since they contain both a survey of current problems and a number of original contributions to the subject.