Ruelle zeta function from field theory

Abstract: We propose a field-theoretic interpretation of Ruelle zeta function, and show how it can be seen as the partition function for $BF$ theory when an unusual gauge fixing condition on contact manifolds is imposed. This suggests an alternative rephrasing of a conjecture due to Fried on the equivalence between Ruelle zeta function and analytic torsion, in terms of homotopies of Lagrangian submanifolds.