Mathematics in and out of String Theory

Publication date 16 August 1999

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/alg-geom/9512010

Mumford isomorphism, Quillen metric Teichmüller space, Polyakov form

Moduli of Riemann surfaces, Teichmüller theory (complex-analytic aspects in several variables) (32G15) Applications of deformations of analytic structures to the sciences (32G81) Determinants and determinant bundles, analytic torsion (58J52) String and superstring theories; other extended objects (e.g., branes) in quantum field theory (81T30)

Abstract: We first give an exposition of how the Polyakov path integral for the bosonic string produces a natural mapping class group invariant measure,

d (P o l y)

, on the Teichm"uller space of Riemann surfaces of each fixed genus. The description of

d (P o l y)

via the Mumford isomorphisms for determinant bundles over Teichm"uller space is also explained. We then report on our recent results with I.Biswas and D.Sullivan, where we succeed in coherently fitting together this Polyakov-Mumford construction over the universal direct limit,

T_{i} n f t y

, of all the finite genus Teichm"uller spaces. The virtual automorphism group of the fundamental group of a compact surface (of arbitrary genus

g > 1

) acts by automorphisms on

T_{i} n f t y

as the ``commensurability mapping class group. Our entire construction is equivariant with respect to this new modular group.

Review text

The author presents results on the geometry of Teichmüller spaces and moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces which are of interest in string theory, respectively which have been inspired by ``stringy ideas. It is an expanded version of the opening lecture in the 37th International Taniguchi Symposium ``Topology and Teichmüller spaces which was held in 1995. It gives a very useful pedagogical introduction into the subject. First the Polyakov action and the string path integral are explained. Using ``gauge invariance its heuristic transformation to a well-defined expression on Teichmüller space respectively on moduli space is given. This transformation leads to the Polyakov form. It is expressed with the help of the Weil-Petersson volume form involving Selberg's zeta function. The determinant of cohomology construction is introduced and Mumford's isomorphism for the determinant bundles is given. This relates the Polyakov volume form to the Mumford volume form. In the second part the author presents the construction of the universal Teichmüller space \(T_\infty\) which contains the Teichmüller spaces of all genera. It is defined with the help of unramified coverings. The construction is essentially due to the author in joint work with \textit{I. Biswas} and \textit{D. Sullivan} [Acta Math. 176, No. 2, 145--169 (1996; Zbl 0959.32026)]. Finally, the universal Polyakov-Mumford construction on \(T_\infty\) is given. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0901.00037].

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