Supermathematics

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Supermathematics is the branch of mathematical physics which applies the mathematics of Lie superalgebras to the behaviour of bosons and fermions. The driving force in its formation in the 1960s and 1970s was Felix Berezin.

Objects of study include superalgebras (such as super Minkowski space and super-Poincaré algebra), superschemes, supermetrics/supersymmetry, supermanifolds, supergeometry, and supergravity, namely in the context of superstring theory.

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In mathematics, a Lie superalgebra is a generalisation of a Lie algebra to include a Z2‑grading. Lie superalgebras are important in theoretical physics where they are used to describe the mathematics of supersymmetry. In most of these theories, the even elements of the superalgebra correspond to bosons and odd elements to fermions.

Superspace is the coordinate space of a theory exhibiting supersymmetry. In such a formulation, along with ordinary space dimensions x, y, z, ..., there are also "anticommuting" dimensions whose coordinates are labeled in Grassmann numbers rather than real numbers. The ordinary space dimensions correspond to bosonic degrees of freedom, the anticommuting dimensions to fermionic degrees of freedom.

In mathematics and theoretical physics, a superalgebra is a Z2-graded algebra. That is, it is an algebra over a commutative ring or field with a decomposition into "even" and "odd" pieces and a multiplication operator that respects the grading.

In the mathematical field of representation theory, a representation of a Lie superalgebra is an action of Lie superalgebra L on a Z2-graded vector spaceV, such that if A and B are any two pure elements of L and X and Y are any two pure elements of V, then

In mathematics, a supercommutative (associative) algebra is a superalgebra such that for any two homogeneous elements x, y we have

In mathematics, a Poisson superalgebra is a Z2-graded generalization of a Poisson algebra. Specifically, a Poisson superalgebra is an (associative) superalgebra A with a Lie superbracket

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerstenhaber algebra</span>

In mathematics and theoretical physics, a Gerstenhaber algebra is an algebraic structure discovered by Murray Gerstenhaber (1963) that combines the structures of a supercommutative ring and a graded Lie superalgebra. It is used in the Batalin–Vilkovisky formalism. It appears also in the generalization of Hamiltonian formalism known as the De Donder–Weyl theory as the algebra of generalized Poisson brackets defined on differential forms.

In physics and mathematics, supermanifolds are generalizations of the manifold concept based on ideas coming from supersymmetry. Several definitions are in use, some of which are described below.

In mathematics, a super vector space is a -graded vector space, that is, a vector space over a field with a given decomposition of subspaces of grade and grade . The study of super vector spaces and their generalizations is sometimes called super linear algebra. These objects find their principal application in theoretical physics where they are used to describe the various algebraic aspects of supersymmetry.

Felix Alexandrovich Berezin was a Soviet Russian mathematician and physicist known for his contributions to the theory of supersymmetry and supermanifolds as well as to the path integral formulation of quantum field theory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exceptional object</span>

Many branches of mathematics study objects of a given type and prove a classification theorem. A common theme is that the classification results in a number of series of objects and a finite number of exceptions — often with desirable properties — that do not fit into any series. These are known as exceptional objects. In many cases, these exceptional objects play a further and important role in the subject. Furthermore, the exceptional objects in one branch of mathematics often relate to the exceptional objects in others.

In mathematics, a graded Lie algebra is a Lie algebra endowed with a gradation which is compatible with the Lie bracket. In other words, a graded Lie algebra is a Lie algebra which is also a nonassociative graded algebra under the bracket operation. A choice of Cartan decomposition endows any semisimple Lie algebra with the structure of a graded Lie algebra. Any parabolic Lie algebra is also a graded Lie algebra.

In mathematical physics, a super Virasoro algebra is an extension of the Virasoro algebra to a Lie superalgebra. There are two extensions with particular importance in superstring theory: the Ramond algebra and the Neveu–Schwarz algebra. Both algebras have N = 1 supersymmetry and an even part given by the Virasoro algebra. They describe the symmetries of a superstring in two different sectors, called the Ramond sector and the Neveu–Schwarz sector.

In theoretical physics, a supersymmetry algebra is a mathematical formalism for describing the relation between bosons and fermions. The supersymmetry algebra contains not only the Poincaré algebra and a compact subalgebra of internal symmetries, but also contains some fermionic supercharges, transforming as a sum of N real spinor representations of the Poincaré group. Such symmetries are allowed by the Haag–Łopuszański–Sohnius theorem. When N>1 the algebra is said to have extended supersymmetry. The supersymmetry algebra is a semidirect sum of a central extension of the super-Poincaré algebra by a compact Lie algebra B of internal symmetries.

In mathematical physics, the Berezin integral, named after Felix Berezin,, is a way to define integration for functions of Grassmann variables. It is not an integral in the Lebesgue sense; the word "integral" is used because the Berezin integral has properties analogous to the Lebesgue integral and because it extends the path integral in physics, where it is used as a sum over histories for fermions.

In algebra, the Kantor–Koecher–Tits construction is a method of constructing a Lie algebra from a Jordan algebra, introduced by Jacques Tits (1962), Kantor (1964), and Koecher (1967).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adinkra symbols (physics)</span>

In supergravity and supersymmetric representation theory, Adinkra symbols are a graphical representation of supersymmetric algebras. Mathematically they can be described as colored finite connected simple graphs, that are bipartite and n-regular. Their name is derived from Adinkra symbols of the same name, and they were introduced by Michael Faux and Sylvester James Gates in 2004.

In mathematics and physics, super Minkowski space or Minkowski superspace is a supersymmetric extension of Minkowski space, sometimes used as the base manifold for superfields. It is acted on by the super Poincaré algebra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Benkart</span> American mathematician (1947–2022)

Georgia McClure Benkart was an American mathematician who was known for her work in the structure and representation theory of Lie algebras and related algebraic structures. She published over 130 journal articles and co-authored three American Mathematical Society memoirs in four broad categories: modular Lie algebras; combinatorics of Lie algebra representations; graded algebras and superalgebras; and quantum groups and related structures.

In mathematics, the term "graded" has a number of meanings, mostly related:

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