Twisted sigma-models in physics and the theory of Chiral Differential Operators.

In this talk, I shall elucidate the connection between various twisted
sigma-models in physics and certain theories of Chiral Differential Operators
(CDO’s) developed by mathematicians in recent times. In doing so, we will be
able to obtain a novel understanding of the physics of these twisted
sigma-models purely in terms of interesting mathematical ideas and vice-versa,
where certain non-trivial results concerning CDO’s derived in the mathematical
literature now lend themselves to simple physical explanations through these
twisted sigma-models. Last but not least, I shall discuss the possible physical
and mathematical extensions of our results.