4-Manifold Topology, Donaldson-Witten Theory, Floer Homology and Higher Gauge Theory Methods in the BV-BFV Formalism

TL;DR

This paper explores the mathematical structures underlying Donaldson invariants of 4-manifolds within a perturbative quantum field theory framework, extending to higher gauge theories and enumerative geometry, and establishing a functorial topological field theory approach.

Contribution

It formulates Donaldson-Witten theory in the BV-BFV formalism, proves a modified Quantum Master Equation, and relates these to higher gauge theories and enumerative geometry methods.

Findings

Proves the BV-BFV formalism satisfies a modified Quantum Master Equation.

Extends the theory to a global setting with background fields.

Connects Donaldson-Witten invariants to Nekrasov's partition function and higher gauge theories.

Abstract

We study the behavior of Donaldson's invariants of 4-manifolds based on the moduli space of anti self-dual connections (instantons) in the perturbative field theory setting where the underlying source manifold has boundary. It is well-known that these invariants take values in the instanton Floer homology groups of the boundary 3-manifold. Gluing formulae for these constructions lead to a functorial topological field theory description according to a system of axioms developed by Atiyah, which can be also regarded in the setting of perturbative quantum field theory, as it was shown by Witten, using a version of supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, known today as Donaldson-Witten theory. One can actually formulate an AKSZ model which recovers this theory for a certain gauge-fixing. We consider these constructions in a perturbative quantum gauge formalism for manifolds with boundary that is compatible with cutting and gluing, called the BV-BFV formalism, which was recently developed by Cattaneo, Mnev and Reshetikhin. We prove that this theory satisfies a modified Quantum Master Equation and extend the result to a global picture when perturbing around constant background fields. Additionally, we relate these constructions to Nekrasov's partition function by treating an equivariant version of Donaldson-Witten theory in the BV formalism. Moreover, we discuss the extension, as well as the relation, to higher gauge theory and enumerative geometry methods, such as Gromov-Witten and Donaldson-Thomas theory and recall their correspondence conjecture for general Calabi-Yau 3-folds. In particular, we discuss the corresponding (relative) partition functions, defined as the generating function for the given invariants, and gluing phenomena.