Related papers: Quantum Background Independence of Closed String F…
We construct a Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) algebra on moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces. This algebra is background independent in that it makes no reference to a state space of a conformal field theory. Conformal theories define a homomorphism…
We give a complete proof of local background independence of the classical master action for closed strings by constructing explicitly, for any two nearby conformal theories in a CFT theory space, a symplectic diffeomorphism between their…
The set of string vertices is extended to include moduli spaces with genus and numbers of ordinary and special punctures ranging over all integral values $g,n,\bar n\geq0$. It is argued that both the string background and the B-V delta…
We revisit the existence, background independence and uniqueness of closed, open and open-closed bosonic- and topological string field theory, using the machinery of homotopy algebra. In a theory of classical open- and closed strings, the…
Given a family of world-sheet superconformal field theories related by marginal deformation, we can formulate superstring field theory based on any of these world-sheet theories. Background independence is the statement that these different…
We study the role of closed string backgrounds in boundary string field theory. Background independence requires the introduction of dual boundary fields, which are reminiscent of the doubled field formalism. We find a correspondence…
We return to and refine Zwiebach's formulation of closed string field theory (CSFT) built around non-critical backgrounds [1,2], restricting our attention to genus zero. The structure involves a special string state $F$ that encodes the…
The complete quantum theory of covariant closed strings is constructed in detail. The action is defined by elementary vertices satisfying recursion relations that give rise to Jacobi-like identities for an infinite chain of string field…
In these introductory notes I explain some basic ideas in string field theory. These include: the concept of a string field, the issue of background independence, the reason why minimal area metrics solve the problem of generating all…
In this paper free quantum theories are derived solely from their underlying symmetry group without reference to a Lagrangean or classical physics and then interactions are introduced by making use of automorphism of the symmetry algebra.…
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…
String field theory is supposed to stand to perturbative string theory as quantum field theory stands to single-particle quantum theory; as such, it purports to offer a substantially more general and powerful perspective on string theory…
The complete quantum theory of closed superstrings is constructed using string diagrams endowed with metric having constant curvature $-1$. The elementary string diagrams are equipped with the analytic local coordinates induced from the…
We investigate the variation of the string field action under changes of the string field vertices giving rise to different decompositions of the moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces. We establish that any such change in the string action…
A framework for background independent open-string field theory is proposed. The approach involves using the BV formalism -- in a way suggested by recent developments in closed-string field theory -- to implicitly define a gauge invariant…
The problems with background independence are discussed in the example of open string theory. Based on the recent proposal by Witten I calculate the String Field Theory action in conformal perturbation theory to second order and demonstrate…
In this note, we describe how the study of backgrounds for general quantum systems can be formulated in terms of the representation theory of abstract $C^*$ algebras. We illustrate our general framework through two example systems:…
I discuss various aspects of background independence in the context of string theory, for which so far we have no manifestly background independent formulation. After reviewing the role of background independence in classical Einstein…
We develop a new background independent Moyal star formalism in bosonic open string field theory. The new star product is formulated in a half-phase-space, and because phase space is independent of any background fields, the interactions…
Not only in physical string theories, but also in some highly simplified situations, background independence has been difficult to understand. It is argued that the ``holomorphic anomaly'' of Bershadsky, Cecotti, Ooguri, and Vafa gives a…