Super-$\mathrm{Lie}_\infty$ T-Duality and M-Theory

Abstract

Super $L_\infty$-algebras unify extended super-symmetry with rational classifying spaces for higher flux densities: The super-invariant super-fluxes which control super $p$-branes and their supergravity target super-spaces are, together with their (non-linear) Bianchi identities, neatly encoded in (non-abelian) super-$L_\infty$ cocycles. These are the rational shadows of flux-quantization laws (in ordinary cohomology, K-theory, Cohomotopy, iterated K-theory, etc). We first review, in streamlined form while filling some previous gaps, double-dimensional reduction/oxidation and 10D superspace T-duality along higher-dimensional super-tori. We do so tangent super-space wise, by viewing it as an instance of adjunctions (dualities) between super-$L_\infty$-extensions and -cyclifications, applied to the avatar super-flux densities of 10D supergravity. In particular, this yields a derivation, at the rational level, of the traditional laws of "topological T-duality" from the super-$L_\infty$ structure of type II superspace. At this level, we also discuss a higher categorical analog of T-duality involving M-branes. Then, by considering super-space T-duality along all 1+9 spacetime dimensions while retaining the 11th dimension as in F-theory, we find the M-algebra appearing as the complete brane-charge extension of the fully T-doubled/correspondence super-spacetime. On this backdrop, we recognize the "decomposed" M-theory 3-form on the "hidden M-algebra" as an M-theoretic lift of the Poincaré super 2-form that controls superspace T-duality as the integral kernel of the super Fourier-Mukai transform. This provides the super-space structure of an M-theory lift of the doubled/correspondence space geometry, which controls T-duality.