Semi-infinite forms and topological vertex operator algebras

Semi-infinite forms on the moduli spaces of genus-zero Riemann surfaces with punctures and local coordinates are introduced. A partial operad for semi-infinite forms is constructed. Using semi-infinite forms and motivated by a partial suboperad of the partial operad for semi-infinite forms, topological vertex partial operads of type $k<0$ and strong topological vertex partial operads of type $k<0$ are constructed. It is proved that the category of (locally-)grading-restricted (strong) topological vertex operator algebras of type $k<0$ and the category of (weakly) meromorphic ${\Bbb Z}\times {\Bbb Z}$-graded algebras over the (strong) topological vertex partial operad of type k are isomorphic. As an application of this isomorphism theorem, the following conjecture of Lian-Zuckerman and Kimura-Voronov-Zuckerman is proved: A strong topological vertex operator algebra gives a homotopy Gerstenhaber algebra. These results hold in particular for the tensor product of the moonshine module vertex operator algebra, the vertex algebra constructed {from} a rank 2 Lorentz lattice and the ghost vertex operator algebra, studied in detail first by Lian and Zuckerman.