The Haag-Lopuszanski-Sohnius theorem

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Haag-Lopuszanski-Sohnius theorem as presented in Weinberg's QFT Vol. III, specifically focusing on the proof and the commutation relations of fermionic operators associated with the Homo' Lorentz group. Participants express confusion regarding the introduction of certain operators and their commutation relations, seeking clarification and further insights.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses confusion about the commutation relations for the fermionic operators Q_{ab}^{AB} and their connection to the representations of the Homo' Lorentz group.
  • The participant questions the role of the operators J in the commutation relations and seeks a proof or explanation for their introduction.
  • There is a suggestion that Q_{ab}^{AB} could be expressed as a tensor product of A and B spinor operators, but uncertainty remains about the correctness of this approach.
  • Several participants express frustration over the lack of responses and suggest that the topic may be better suited for a different forum focused on supersymmetry.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the confusion surrounding the commutation relations and the need for clarification. However, there is no consensus on the interpretation of the operators or the best approach to resolve the issues raised.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in the understanding of the commutation relations and the assumptions underlying the operators involved. The lack of responses may indicate a broader challenge in addressing the complexities of the topic.

Perturbation
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Hey, guys. I recently bought Weinberg's QFT Vol. III on Supersymmetry and I'm a bit stuck with part of the proof he gives for the Haag-Lopuszanski-Sohnius theorem in chapter 25.2. He starts off by giving the usual way of classifying representations of the Homo' Lorentz group by a pair of integers (A, B) according to

\mathbf{A}=\tfrac{1}{2}\left(\mathbf{J}+i\mathbf{K}\right)
\mathbf{B}=\tfrac{1}{2}\left(\mathbf{J}-i\mathbf{K}\right)

Where J and K are the generators of rotations and boost respectively. This I'm familiar with. Then he introduces a set of (2A+1)(2B+1) fermionic operators Q_{ab}^{AB} (with a=-A...A and b=-B...B) that furnish an (A, B) representation of the Homo' Lorentz group, ok. But what I don't get is the commutation relations he gives for these operators with A and B as above

[\mathbf{A}, Q_{ab}^{AB}]=-\sum_{a'}\mathbf{J}^{(A)}_{aa'}Q_{a'b}^{AB}.
[\mathbf{B}, Q_{ab}^{AB}]=-\sum_{b'}\mathbf{J}^{(B)}_{bb'}Q_{ab'}^{AB}

Where \mathbf{J}^{(j)} is the spin j three-vector matrix. The commutation relations make sense intuitively: the commutator of A and Q should be a sum of Q's that belong to the A rep', likewise with the commutator with B. But I don't quite get the introduction of J, does anyone have a proof they can give or link me to? I follow the rest of the proof of the theorem, but these commutation relations are quite important to establish a starting point of the theorem, namely the relation between the Hermitian adjoint of an (A, B) operator and a (B, A) operator. I'd skip over it and just accept it but it's bothering me and I'm not usually the sort to assume important results.

I was thinking I could write Q_{ab}^{AB} as a tensor product of A and B spinor operators and work it through like that, and given that A and B satisfy the usual commutation relations of angular momentum it makes sense that J should pop out at the end, but I'm not sure. Perhaps I'm not looking at it right and the Q's are just adjusted so that they obey said relations...if so I wasted five minutes writing this. All Weinberg says in relation to them is "Moreover the Q's satisfy the following commutation relations [the ones referenced above]", or something like that.

Any help would be appreciated, this damn thing is stopping me from progressing through the topic, something I've been interested in for a while, but haven't had the money to buy a book on.

Cheers, folk
 
Last edited:
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Nobody...?
 
Perturbation said:
Nobody...?

Not I, said selfy-welfy.
 
Bummer

Perhaps in the "Beyond the Standard Model" forum?
 
Perturbation said:
Bummer

Perhaps in the "Beyond the Standard Model" forum?

Could be. That's the proper home for supersymmetry anyway. I'm going to move the thread.
 

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