Topology & Geometric Group Theory Seminar

Fall 2008

1:30 – 2:30, Malott 406

Tuesday, November 18

(This is joint work with Anton Malkin.) The prequantization procedure assigns to a manifold M with an integral 2-form F a principal circle bundle P over M with a connection A whose curvature is F. A principle of Guillemin and Sternberg says that prequantization commutes with taking symplectic quotients. Generically symplectic quotients are orbifolds, so there is a need to make sense of prequantization of orbifolds. A functorial view of prequantization due to Hopkins and Singer gives a clue of how to proceed. In particular we show that when the orbifold in question is a point with an action of a finite group G its prequantization is a character of G.