Topology of quantum gauge fields and duality (I): Yang-Mills-Higgs system in 2 + 1 dimensions

The basic role of the representation of the gauge group in characterizing the topological excitations of the vacuum is pointed out. For SU(N) gauge fields on a lattice, the topological excitations are monopoles in the adjoint representation of the dual group sup(*)SU(N). This leads to a dual representation of the Yang-Mills-Higgs system in 2 + 1 dimensions. For SU(3) the deal theory in a scalar theory with discrete Weyl symmetry S3. In the presence of adjoint Higgs fields the Weyl symmetry is broken in the Higgs phase but restored by pseudo-particles in the confinement phase. (orig.)