Topological quantum field theories and fractional statistics are both defined in multiply connected manifolds. We study the relationship between both theories in 2 + 1 dimensions and we show that, due to the multiply-connected character of the manifold, the propagator for any quantum (field) theory always contains a first order pole that can be identified with a physical excitation with fractional spin. The article starts by reviewing the definition of general covariance in the Hamiltonian formalism, the gauge-fixing problem and the quantization following the lines of Batalin, Fradkin and Vilkovisky. The BRST–BFV quantization is reviewed in order to understand the topological approach proposed here.
Compatibility of symmetric quantization with general covariance in the Dirac equation and spin connections
