In theoretical physics, particularly in the context of conformal field theory (CFT) and string theory, the term "central charge" refers to a specific parameter that characterizes the anomaly and the structure of the algebra of symmetries of a quantum field theory.
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The central charge is the coefficient of the fourth-order pole in the stress-tensor operator-product expansion, . A free real boson contributes one and a free real chiral fermion contributes one half.