pith. sign in

Title resolution pending

4 Pith papers cite this work. Polarity classification is still indexing.

4 Pith papers citing it
abstract

A familiar anomaly affects SU(2) gauge theory in four dimensions: a theory with an odd number of fermion multiplets in the spin 1/2 representation of the gauge group, and more generally in representations of spin 2r+1/2, is inconsistent. We describe here a more subtle anomaly that can affect SU(2) gauge theory in four dimensions under the condition that fermions transform with half-integer spin under SU(2) and bosons with integer spin. Such a theory, formulated in a way that requires no choice of spin structure, and with an odd number of fermion multiplets in representations of spin 4r+3/2, is inconsistent. The theory is consistent if one picks a spin or spin_c structure. Under Higgsing to U(1), the new SU(2) anomaly reduces to a known anomaly of "all-fermion electrodynamics." Like that theory, an SU(2) theory with an odd number of fermion multiplets in representations of spin 4r+3/2 can provide a boundary state for a five-dimensional gapped theory whose partition function on a closed five-manifold Y is $(-1)^{\int_Y w_2w_3}$. All statements have analogs with SU(2) replaced by Sp(2N). There is also an analog in five dimensions.

citation-role summary

background 4

citation-polarity summary

years

2026 3 2022 1

roles

background 4

polarities

background 4

clear filters

representative citing papers

Does hot QCD have a conformal manifold in the chiral limit?

hep-th · 2026-03-10 · unverdicted · novelty 6.0

An 't Hooft anomaly at general imaginary baryon chemical potential constrains the QCD chiral transition to three minimal CFT scenarios, with the favored one for N_f >= 3 featuring a conformal manifold of theta_B-dependent universality classes with an exactly marginal operator tied to baryon density.

citing papers explorer

Showing 4 of 4 citing papers.