On topological terms in the O(3) nonlinear sigma model

Topological terms in the O(3) nonlinear sigma model in (1+1) and (2+1) dimensions are re-examined based on the description of the SU(2)-valued field g. We first show that the topological soliton term in (1+1) dimensions arises from the unitary representations of the group characterizing the global structure of the symmetry inherent in the description, in a manner analogous to the appearance of the θ-term in Yang-Mills theory in (3+1) dimensions. We then present a detailed argument as to why the conventional Hopf term, which is the topological counterpart in (2+1) dimensions and has been widely used to realize fractional spin and statistics, is ill-defined unless the soliton charge vanishes. We show how this restriction can be lifted by means of a procedure proposed recently, and provide its physical interpretation as well.