Lagrangian Formulations of Self-dual Gauge Theories in Diverse Dimensions

Abstract: In this work, we study Lagrangian formulations for self-dual gauge theories, also known as chiral $n$-form gauge theories, for $n = 2p$ in $D = 4p+2$ dimensional spacetime. Motivated by a recent formulation of M5-branes derived from the BLG model, we generalize the earlier Lagrangian formulation based on a decomposition of spacetime into $(D-1)$ dimensions plus a special dimension, to construct Lagrangian formulations based on a generic decomposition of spacetime into $D'$ and $D" = D - D'$ dimensions. Although the Lorentz symmetry is not manifest, we prove that the action is invariant under modified Lorentz transformations.