Related papers: Modular Invariant Regularization of String Determi…

In earlier papers on the loop variable approach to gauge invariant interactions in string theory, a ``wave functional'' with some specific properties was invoked. It had the purpose of converting the generalized momenta to space time…

The focus of this thesis is on (1) the role of Ka\v c-Moody (KM) algebras in string theory and the development of techniques for systematically building string theory models based on higher level ($K\geq 2$) KM algebras and (2) fractional…

The goal of these lectures is to present an informal but precise introduction to a body of concepts and methods of interest in number theory and string theory revolving around modular forms and their generalizations. Modular invariance lies…

Extending the seminal work of Bilal and Gervais, we construct a tachyon-free, modular invariant partition function for critical superstrings on four-dimensional Minkowski x two-dimensional black hole. This model may be thought of as an…

The partition function of type IIA and B strings on R^6xK3, in the T^4/Z_2 orbifold limit, is explicitly computed as a modular invariant sum over spin strutures required by perturbative unitarity in order to extend the analysis to include…

Unimodular Gravity is a theory displaying Weyl rescalings of the metric and transverse (volume-preserving) diffeomorphisms as gauge symmetries, as opposed to the full set of diffeomorphisms displayed by General Relativity. Recently, we…

Higher genus modular invariance of two-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs) is a largely unexplored area. In this paper, we derive explicit expressions for the higher genus partition functions of a specific class of CFTs: code CFTs,…

The aim of this paper is to generalize the $m-$Segre invariant for vector bundles to coherent systems. Let $X$ be a non-singular irreducible complex projective curve of genus $g$ over $\mathbb{C}$ and $(E,V)$ be a coherent system on $X$ of…

The fundamental string length, which is an essential part of string theory, explicitly breaks scale invariance. However, in field theory we demonstrated recently that the gravitational constant, which is directly related to the string…

In this paper we give a general family of conformal invariants associated to bordered Riemann surfaces endowed with boundary parametrizations, or equivalently compact surfaces endowed with conformal maps. Each invariant is specified by a…

Let $V$ be a linear representation of a connected complex reductive group $G$. Given a choice of character $\theta$ of $G$, Geometric Invariant Theory defines a locus $V^{ss}_\theta(G) \subseteq V$ of semistable points. We give necessary,…

A time-dependent bosonic string configuration is discussed, in graviton and dilaton backgrounds, leading to Weyl-symmetry beta-functions which are homogeneous in X^0, to any order in alpha'. As a consequence, a string reparametrization can…

We present a string theory that reproduces the large-$N$ expansion of two dimensional Yang-Mills gauge theory on arbitrary surfaces. First, a new class of topological sigma models is introduced, with path integrals localized to the moduli…

It is well known that the normaized characters of integrable highest weight modules of given level over an affine Lie algebra $\hat{\frak{g}}$ span an $SL_2(\mathbf{Z})$-invariant space. This result extends to admissible…

The $O(d,d)$ invariant worldsheet theory for bosonic string theory with $d$ abelian isometries is employed to compute the beta functions and Weyl anomaly at one-loop. We show that vanishing of the Weyl anomaly coefficients implies the…

In these lectures we explain the intimate relationship between modular invariants in conformal field theory and braided subfactors in operator algebras. A subfactor with a braiding determines a matrix $Z$ which is obtained as a coupling…

We develop a procedure that reorganizes the perturbative expansion in a class of quantum field theories into a stringy amplitude expressed as a sum over two-dimensional geometries. Using Schwinger parametrization and the one-to-one…

We continue the development of the topological membrane approach to open and unoriented string theories. We study orbifolds of topologically massive gauge theory defined on the geometry $[0,1]\times\Sigma$, where $\Sigma$ is a generic…

We analyze in detail the relation between an exactly marginal deformation of N=4 SYM - the Leigh-Strassler or ``beta-deformation'' - and its string theory dual (recently constructed in hep-th/0502086) by comparing energies of semiclassical…

The main limitations of string field theory arise because its present formulation requires a background representing a classical solution, a background defined by a strictly conformally invariant theory. Here we sketch a construction for a…