Decomposition in diverse dimensions

Abstract

This paper discusses the relationships between gauge theories defined by gauge groups with finite trivially acting centers and theories with restrictions on nonperturbative sectors, in two and four dimensions. In two dimensions, these notions seem to coincide. Generalizing old results on orbifolds and Abelian gauge theories, we propose a decomposition of two-dimensional non-Abelian gauge theories with center-invariant matter into disjoint sums of theories with rotating discrete theta angles; for example, schematically, $SU(2)=SO(3{)}_{+}+SO(3{)}_{\ensuremath{-}}$. We verify that decomposition directly in pure nonsupersymmetric two-dimensional Yang-Mills as well as in supersymmetric theories. In four dimensions, by contrast, these notions do not coincide. To clarify the relationship, we discuss theories obtained by restricting nonperturbative sectors. These theories violate cluster decomposition, but we illustrate how they may at least in special cases be understood as disjoint sums of well-behaved quantum field theories, and how dyon spectra can be used to distinguish, for example, an $SO(3)$ theory with a restriction on instantons from an $SU(2)$ theory. We also briefly discuss how coupling various analogues of Dijkgraaf-Witten theory, as part of a description of instanton restriction via coupling topological field theories to quantum field theories, may modify these results.