| In this thesis, we study a number of higher spin quantum field theories and some of their algebraic and geometric consequences. These theories apply mostly either over constant curvature or more generally symmetric pseudo-Riemannian manifolds.;We also consider massive models over constant curvature spaces. We use a radial dimensional reduction process which converts massless models into massive ones over a lower dimensional space. In our case, we take from the family of theories above the particular free, massless model over flat space associated with sp(2, R ) and derive a massive model. In the process, we develop a novel associative algebra, which is a deformation of the original differential operator algebra associated with the sp(2, R ) model. This algebra is interesting in its own right since its operators realize the representation structure of the sp(2, R ) group. The massive model also has implications for a sequence of unusual, "partially massless" theories. The derivation illuminates how reduced degrees of freedom become manifest in these particular models.;Finally, we study a Yang-Mills model using an on-shell Poincare Yang-Mills twist of the Maxwell complex along with a non-minimal coupling. This is a special, higher spin case of a quantum field theory called a Yang-Mills detour complex. After developing the model, we study the sprectra of the states of the model, particularly two degenerate photon states which have nonpositive norm.;The first part of this dissertation covers a superalgebra coming from a family of particle models over symmetric spaces. These theories are novel in that the symmetries of the (super)algebra osp( Q|2p) are larger and more elaborate than traditional symmetries. We construct useful (super)algebras related to and generalizing old work by Lichnerowicz and describe their role in developing the geometry of massless models with osp(Q|2 p) symmetry. The result is two practical applications of these (super)algebras: (1) a lunch more concise description of a family of higher spin quantum field theories; and (2) an interesting algebraic probe of underlying background geometries. |
