On colour-kinematic duality and the double copy

Abstract: We begin by reviewing the colour-kinematics duality of (super) Yang-Mills theory and its double copy into (super)gravity. We then show that off-shell colour-kinematics duality can be made manifest in the Yang—Mills Batalin–Vilkovisky action, up to Jacobian counter-terms. This, in turn, implies the validity of the double copy to all orders in perturbations theory. We then describe the mathematical underpinnings of these observations in terms of Homotopy algebras. Figuratively, colour-kinematics duality is a symmetry of Yang—Mills in the same sense that a mug is a donut. We conclude by discussing generalisations to super Yang-Mills theory, where Sen’s formalism for self-dual field strengths emerges automatically.

HEP - theory

Audience: researchers in the topic

Rencontres Théoriciennes

Series comments: Description: Bi-weekly meeting of string theorists in greater Paris