1997/11/30 by Martin Markl
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #hep-th #math.QA #q-alg
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/pl00005575
published as Commun.Math.Phys. 221 (2001) 367-384 · LaTeX 2.09, 29 pages. Section "Loop homotopy Lie algebras - operadic approach" substantially revised
arxiv created 1999/08/31 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30
Barton Zwiebach constructed the `string products' on the Hilbert space of combined conformal field theory of matter and ghosts. It is well-known that the `tree level' specialization of these products forms a strongly homotopy Lie algebra. A strongly homotopy Lie algebra is given by a square zero coderivation on the cofree cocommutative connected coalgebra, on the other hand, strongly homotopy Lie algebras are algebras over the cobar construction on the commutative algebras operad. The aim of our paper is to give two similar characterizations of the structure formed by the `string products' of arbitrary genera. Our first characterization will be based on the notion of a higher order coderivation, the second characterization will be based on the machinery of modular operads. We will also discuss possible generalizations to open string field theory.