On the lagrangian realization of the WZNW reductions

Abstract

We develop a phase space path-integral approach for deriving the lagrangian realization of the models defined by hamiltonian reduction of the WZNW theory. We illustrate the uses of the approach by applying it to the models of non-abelian chiral bosons, W-algebras and the GKO coset construction, and show that the well-known Sonnenschein action, the generalized Toda action and the gauged WZNW model are precisely the lagrangian realizations of those m models, respectively.