The large central charge limit in conformal field theory
Sylvain Ribault
IPhT
Mon, Nov. 07th 2011, 11:00
Salle Claude Itzykson, Bât. 774, Orme des Merisiers
A two-dimensional conformal field theory comes with a parameter $c$ called the central charge. It can be useful to consider the large $c$ limit when it exists, because in this limit the spectrum and correlation functions simplify considerably without however becoming trivial. I will review the large $c$ limit of Liouville theory, which can be interpreted as quantum mechanics on the group $SL(2,C)$. Then I will explain how the large $c$ limit is helpful in the study of the more complicated case of $sell_3$ conformal Toda theory.