Boundary conformal field theory and fusion ring representations

Abstract

To an RCFT corresponds two combinatorial structures: the amplitude of a torus (the 1-loop partition function of a closed string, sometimes called a modular invariant), and a representation of the fusion ring (called a NIM-rep or equivalently a fusion graph, and closely related to the 1-loop partition function of an open string). In this paper we develop some basic theory of NIM-reps, obtain several new NIM-rep classifications, and compare them with the corresponding modular invariant classifications. Among other things, we make the following fairly disturbing observation: there are infinitely many (WZW) modular invariants which do not correspond to any NIM-rep. The resolution could be that those modular invariants are physically sick. Is classifying modular invariants really the right thing to do? For current algebras, the answer seems to be: usually but not always. For finite groups à la Dijkgraaf–Vafa–Verlinde–Verlinde, the answer seems to be: rarely.