Open string theory and planar algebras

In this note we show that abstract planar algebras are algebras over the topological operad of moduli spaces of stable maps with Lagrangian boundary conditions, which in the case of the projective line are described in terms of real rational functions. These moduli spaces appear naturally in the formulation of open string theory on the projective line. We also show two geometric ways to obtain planar algebras from real algebraic geometry, one based on string topology and one on Gromov-Witten theory. In particular, through the well known relation between planar algebras and subfactors, these results establish a connection between open string theory, real algebraic geometry, and subfactors of von Neumann algebras.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX, 7 eps figure

Complex Curve of the Two Matrix Model and its Tau-function

We study the hermitean and normal two matrix models in planar approximation for an arbitrary number of eigenvalue supports. Its planar graph interpretation is given. The study reveals a general structure of the underlying analytic complex curve, different from the hyperelliptic curve of the one matrix model. The matrix model quantities are expressed through the periods of meromorphic generating differential on this curve and the partition function of the multiple support solution, as a function of filling numbers and coefficients of the matrix potential, is shown to be the quasiclassical tau-function. The relation to softly broken N=1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories is discussed. A general class of solvable multimatrix models with tree-like interactions is considered.Comment: 36 pages, 10 figures, TeX; final version appeared in special issue of J.Phys. A on Random Matrix Theor

Correspondences between projective planes

We characterize integral homology classes of the product of two projective planes which are representable by a subvariety.Comment: Improved readability, 14 page

Elliptic Feynman integrals and pure functions

We propose a variant of elliptic multiple polylogarithms that have at most logarithmic singularities in all variables and satisfy a differential equation without homogeneous term. We investigate several non-trivial elliptic two-loop Feynman integrals with up to three external legs and express them in terms of our functions. We observe that in all cases they evaluate to pure combinations of elliptic multiple polylogarithms of uniform weight. This is the first time that a notion of uniform weight is observed in the context of Feynman integrals that evaluate to elliptic polylogarithms.Comment: 47 page

Moduli of Tropical Plane Curves

We study the moduli space of metric graphs that arise from tropical plane curves. There are far fewer such graphs than tropicalizations of classical plane curves. For fixed genus $g$, our moduli space is a stacky fan whose cones are indexed by regular unimodular triangulations of Newton polygons with $g$ interior lattice points. It has dimension $2g+1$ unless $g \leq 3$ or $g = 7$. We compute these spaces explicitly for $g \leq 5$.Comment: 31 pages, 25 figure