Fractional Gaussian Forms and Gauge Theory: An Overview

Sky Cao , Scott Sheffield

Frontiers of Mathematics ›› 2026, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (1) : 1 -137.

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Frontiers of Mathematics ›› 2026, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (1) :1 -137. DOI: 10.1007/s11464-024-0135-0
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Fractional Gaussian Forms and Gauge Theory: An Overview

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Abstract

Fractional Gaussian fields are scalar-valued random functions or generalized functions on an n-dimensional manifold M, indexed by a parameter s. They include white noise (s = 0), Brownian motion (s = 1, n = 1), the 2D Gaussian free field (s = 1, n = 2) and the membrane model (s = 2). These simple objects are ubiquitous in math and science, and can be used as a starting point for constructing non-Gaussian theories. They are sometimes parameterized by the Hurst parameter

H=sn2
.

The differential form analogs of these objects are equally natural: for example, instead of considering an instance h(x) of the GFF on ℝ2, one might write h1(x)dx1 + h2(x)dx2 where h1 and h2 are independent GFF instances. This “Gaussian-free-field-based 1-form” can be projected onto curl-free and divergence-free components, which in turn arise as gradients and dual-gradients of independent membrane models.

In general, given k ∈ {0,1,…, n}, an instance of the fractional Gaussian k-form with parameter s ∈ ℝ (abbreviated FGFsk(M)) is given by

(Δ)s2Wk
, where Wk is a k-form-valued white noise. We write
FGFsk(M)d=0andFGFsk(M)d=0
for the L2 orthogonal projections of FGFsk(M) onto the space of k-forms on which d (resp. d*) vanishes. We explain how FGFsk(M) and its projections transform under d and d*, as well as wedge/Hodge-star operators, subspace restrictions, and axial projections. We review “massive” variants, variants on lattices, and a variant involving the Chern–Simons action. We explain the role of the higher order cohomology groups of M.

The 1-form FGF11(M) and its gauge-fixed projection FGF11(M)d*=0 arise as low-temperature/small-scale limits of U(1) Yang–Mills gauge theory. When U(1) is replaced with another compact Lie group, the corresponding limit is a Lie-algebra-valued analog of FGF11(M)d*=0, which can be interpreted as a random connection whose curvature is (a Lie-algebra valued analog of) FGF20(M)d=0.

Wilson loop observables of this connection are defined for sufficiently regular “big loops” (trajectories in the space of divergence-free 1-forms obtainable as limits of finite-length loops) in a gauge invariant way, even in the non-abelian case. We define “big surfaces” (trajectories in the space of 2-forms obtainable as limits of smooth surfaces with boundary) and note that Stokes’ theorem converts big-loop integrals of FGF11(M)d*=0 into big-surface integrals of FGF20(M)d=0 or FGF20(M). A type of exponential correlation decay and area law applies within the slabs2 × [0,1]m but not within ℝn for n > 2.

One may interpret FGF11(M)d*=0 as a random divergence-free vector field, which is conjectured to be the fine-mesh scaling limit of the n-dimensional dimer model when n > 2. (Kenyon proved this for n = 2.) We formulate several conjectures and open problems about scaling limits, including possible off-critical/non-Gaussian limits, whose construction in the Yang–Mills setting is a famous open problem.

Keywords

Gaussian k-forms / random distributions / Yang–Mills / 60G60 / 81T13

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Sky Cao, Scott Sheffield. Fractional Gaussian Forms and Gauge Theory: An Overview. Frontiers of Mathematics, 2026, 21(1): 1-137 DOI:10.1007/s11464-024-0135-0

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