Topic
Topological string theory
About: Topological string theory is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1206 publications have been published within this topic receiving 54758 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
More filters
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that the all-orders WKB periods of one-dimensional quantum mechanical oscillators are governed by the refined holomorphic anomaly equations of topological string theory.
Abstract: We show that the all-orders WKB periods of one-dimensional quantum mechanical oscillators are governed by the refined holomorphic anomaly equations of topological string theory. We analyze in detail the double-well potential and the cubic and quartic oscillators, and we calculate the WKB expansion of their quantum free energies by using the direct integration of the anomaly equations. We reproduce in this way all known results about the quantum periods of these models, which we express in terms of modular forms on the WKB curve. As an application of our results, we study the large order behavior of the WKB expansion in the case of the double well, which displays the double factorial growth typical of string theory.
8 citations
Posted Content•
TL;DR: The tensionless limit of classical string theory may be formulated as a topological theory on the world-sheet as discussed by the authors, and it is shown that independence of a metric in quantum mechanical amplitudes implies that the dependence on such vector density zeroes is purely topological.
Abstract: The tensionless limit of classical string theory may be formulated as a topological theory on the world-sheet. A vector density carries geometrical information in place of an internal metric. It is found that path-integral quantization allows for the definition of several, possibly inequivalent quantum theories. String amplitudes are constructed from vector densities with zeroes for each in- or out-going string. It is shown that independence of a metric in quantum mechanical amplitudes implies that the dependence on such vector density zeroes is purely topological. For example, there is no need for integration over their world-sheet positions.
8 citations
Posted Content•
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that B-type open topological string theory with the supertwistor space CP^{3|4} as a target space is equivalent to holomorphic Chern-Simons (hCS) theory on the same space.
Abstract: It was recently shown by Witten that B-type open topological string theory with the supertwistor space CP^{3|4} as a target space is equivalent to holomorphic Chern-Simons (hCS) theory on the same space. This hCS theory in turn is equivalent to self-dual N=4 super Yang-Mills (SYM) theory in four dimensions. We review the supertwistor description of self-dual and anti-self-dual N-extended SYM theory as the integrability of super Yang-Mills fields on complex (2|N)-dimensional superplanes and demonstrate the equivalence of this description to Witten's formulation. The equivalence of the field equations of hCS theory on an open subset of CP^{3|N} to the field equations of self-dual N-extended SYM theory in four dimensions is made explicit. Furthermore, we extend the picture to the full N=4 SYM theory and, by using the known supertwistor description of this case, we show that the corresponding constraint equations are (gauge) equivalent to the field equations of hCS theory on a quadric in CP^{3|3}xCP^{3|3}.
8 citations
Posted Content•
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that the topological phase of string theory must be event-symmetric, which motivated a search for a universal string group for discrete strings in event symmetric spacetime which unifies space-time symmetry with internal gauge symmetry.
Abstract: I present arguments to the affect that the topological phase of string theory must be event-symmetric. This motivates a search for a universal string group for discrete strings in event-symmetric spacetime which unifies space-time symmetry with internal gauge symmetry. This is partially successful but the results are incomplete and I speculate on the use of quantum groups to define a well behaved theory which would resolve the discrete/continuum dual nature of stringy space-time.
8 citations
CERN1
TL;DR: In this paper, the BRST structure of the topological string is encoded in the small N = 4 superconformal algebra, enabling them to obtain, in a non-trivial way, the string theory from hamiltonian reduction of A(1∥1).
8 citations