Topological actions via gauge variations of higher structures

TL;DR

This paper presents a new perspective on topological action functionals in string and M-theory by interpreting them as gauge transformations related to higher geometric structures like String and Fivebrane structures.

Contribution

It introduces a novel viewpoint connecting topological actions to gauge variations of higher structures in string and M-theory.

Findings

Topological actions can be understood as gauge transformations.

Higher structures like String and Fivebrane are central to these topological terms.

Rational analysis reveals these connections clearly.

Abstract

In this note we provide a new perspective on the topological parts of several action functionals in string and M-theory. We show that rationally these can be viewed as large gauge transformations corresponding to variations of higher structures, such as String, Fivebrane, and Ninebrane structures.