Classical Codes and Chiral CFTs at Higher Genus

TL;DR

This paper derives explicit higher genus partition functions for code CFTs, linking modular invariance constraints to code enumerator polynomials, and explores how these constraints limit possible theories.

Contribution

It provides a novel explicit formulation of higher genus partition functions for code CFTs using polynomial variables and analyzes the impact of modular invariance and degeneration limits.

Findings

Higher genus modular invariance constrains code CFTs significantly.

Partition functions relate directly to code enumerator polynomials.

Degeneration limits further restrict consistent theories.

Abstract

Higher genus modular invariance of two-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs) is a largely unexplored area. In this paper, we derive explicit expressions for the higher genus partition functions of a specific class of CFTs: code CFTs, which are constructed using classical error-correcting codes. In this setting, the $\mathrm{Sp}(2g,\mathbb Z)$ modular transformations of genus $g$ Riemann surfaces can be recast as a simple set of linear maps acting on $2^g$ polynomial variables, which comprise an object called the code enumerator polynomial. The CFT partition function is directly related to the enumerator polynomial, meaning that solutions of the linear constraints from modular invariance immediately give a set of seemingly consistent partition functions at a given genus. We then find that higher genus constraints, plus consistency under degeneration limits of the Riemann surface, greatly reduces the number of possible code CFTs. This work provides a step towards a full understanding of the constraints from higher genus modular invariance on 2d CFTs.