1996/10/31 by Albert Schwarz
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Operator Algebra Research #Advanced Topics in Algebra #Grassmannian #Linguistics #Mathematical physics #Mathematics #Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories #Philosophy #Pure mathematics #String (physics) #String theory #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s002200050493
published as Commun.Math.Phys.199:1-24,1998 · 28 pages, Latex( Minor corrections. References added.)
arxiv created 1996/12/02 · openalex publication_date 1998/12/01 · arxiv updated 2010/11/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Infinite-dimensional Grassmannian manifold contains moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces of all genera. This well known fact leads to a conjecture that non-perturbative string theory can be formulated in terms of Grassmannian. We present new facts supporting this hypothesis. In particular, it is shown that Grassmannians can be considered as generalized moduli spaces; this statement permits us to define corresponding "string amplitudes" (at least formally). One can conjecture, that it is possible to explain the relation between non-perturbative and perturbative string theory by means of localization theorems for equivariant cohomology; this conjecture is based on the characterization of moduli spaces, relevant to string theory, as sets consisting of points with large stabilizers in certain groups acting on Grassmannian. We describe an involution on the Grassmannian that could be related to S-duality in string theory.