Related papers: Topology and Strings: Topics in $N=2$
By "untwisting" the construction of Berkovits and Vafa, one can see that the N=1 superstring contains a topological twisted N=2 algebra, with central charge c^ = 2. We discuss to what extent the superstring is actually a topological theory.
The purpose of this note is to provide a short invitation to the universal algebraic approach to topological string theory. In the first section we make an attempt to explain the origin of this approach and how it fits into the bigger…
The topological coset model appraoch to non-critical string models is summarized. The action of a topological twisted ${G\over H}$ coset model ($rank\ H = rank\ G$) is written down. A ``topological coset algebra" is derived and compared…
We extend earlier ideas about the appearance of noncommutative geometry in string theory with a nonzero B-field. We identify a limit in which the entire string dynamics is described by a minimally coupled (supersymmetric) gauge theory on a…
In this paper, we explicitly construct string theory backgrounds that realise the so-called $\mathcal N=2^\star$ gauge theory. We prove the consistency of our models by calculating their partition function and obtaining the correct gauge…
There is an interpretation of open string field theory in algebraic topology. An interpretation of closed string field theory can be deduced from this open string theory to obtain as well the interpretation of open and closed string field…
We discuss three closely related questions; i)~Given a conformal field theory, how may we deform it? ii)~What are the symmetries of string theory? and iii)~Does string theory have free parameters? We show that there is a distinct…
We review recent work which has significantly sharpened our geometric understanding and interpretation of the moduli space of certain $N$=2 superconformal field theories. This has resolved some important issues in mirror symmetry and has…
This lecture surveys a few loosely related topics, ranging from the scarcity of quantum field theories -- and the role that this has played, and still plays, in physics -- to paradoxes involving black holes in soluble two dimensional string…
We give a complete classification of topological field theories with reflection structure and spin-statistics in one and two spacetime dimensions. Our answers can be naturally expressed in terms of an internal fermionic symmetry group $G$…
Recent work by physicists on gravity in two dimensions has a natural generalization to four dimensions, formulated in terms of an analogue of Segal's category [defined for the study of conformal field theory].
This review summarizes the recent developments in topological string theory from the author's perspective, mostly focused on aspects of research in which the author is involved. After a brief overview of the theory, we discuss two aspects…
A survey of new geometric flows motivated by string theories is provided. Their settings can range from complex geometry to almost-complex geometry to symplectic geometry. From the PDE viewpoint, many of them can be viewed as intermediate…
We study duals to field theories in two dimensions with N=(4,4) SUSY. The string backgrounds reproduce certain non-perturbative aspects of the dual field theory with a large number of colors N_c and a tunable number of flavors N_f.…
This thesis is concerned with a realisation of topological theories in terms of statistical models known as Calabi-Yau crystals. The thesis starts with an introduction and review of topological field and string theories. Subsequently…
We study closed N=2 strings on orbifolds of the form T^4/Z_2 and C^2/Z_2. We compute the torus partition function and prove its modular invariance. We analyse the BRST cohomology of the theory, construct the vertex operators, and compute…
A $D>2$ topological string is presented by coupling the $2d$ topological gravity with the twisted version of the $N=2$ superconformal matter with $c=3k/(k-2)$. The latter is shown to admit $k+1$ chiral primary fields from the…
A brief overview of strings propagating on noncompact coset spaces G/H is presented in terms of WZW models. The role played by isometries in the existence of target space duality and by fixed points of the gauge transformations in the…
The topological description of $2D$ string theory at the self-dual radius is studied in the algebro-geometrical formulation of the $A_{k+1}$ topological models at $k=-3$. Genus zero correlators of tachyons and their gravitational…
One of the dualities in string theory, the F-theory/heterotic string duality in eight dimensions, predicts an interesting correspondence between two seemingly disparate geometrical objects. On one side of the duality there are elliptically…