Families of short cycles on Riemannian surfaces

Let $M$ be a closed Riemannian surface of genus $g$. We construct a family of 1-cycles on $M$ that represents a non-trivial element of the k'th homology group of the space of cycles and such that the mass of each cycle is bounded above by $C \max\{\sqrt{k}, \sqrt{g}\} \sqrt{Area(M)}$. This result is optimal up to a multiplicative constant.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures. Exposition improved, to appear in Duke Mathematical Journa

Pair Correlation Function of Wilson Loops

We give a path integral prescription for the pair correlation function of Wilson loops lying in the worldvolume of Dbranes in the bosonic open and closed string theory. The results can be applied both in ordinary flat spacetime in the critical dimension d or in the presence of a generic background for the Liouville field. We compute the potential between heavy nonrelativistic sources in an abelian gauge theory in relative collinear motion with velocity v = tanh(u), probing length scales down to r_min^2 = 2 \pi \alpha' u. We predict a universal -(d-2)/r static interaction at short distances. We show that the velocity dependent corrections to the short distance potential in the bosonic string take the form of an infinite power series in the dimensionless variables z = r_min^2/r^2, uz/\pi, and u^2.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figure, Revtex. Corrected factor of two in potential. Some changes in discussio

Amoebas of algebraic varieties and tropical geometry

This survey consists of two parts. Part 1 is devoted to amoebas. These are images of algebraic subvarieties in the complex torus under the logarithmic moment map. The amoebas have essentially piecewise-linear shape if viewed at large. Furthermore, they degenerate to certain piecewise-linear objects called tropical varieties whose behavior is governed by algebraic geometry over the so-called tropical semifield. Geometric aspects of tropical algebraic geometry are the content of Part 2. We pay special attention to tropical curves. Both parts also include relevant applications of the theories. Part 1 of this survey is a revised and updated version of an earlier prepreint of 2001.Comment: 40 pages, 15 figures, a survey for the volume "Different faces in Geometry

Extensions of Johnson's and Morita's homomorphisms that map to finitely generated abelian groups

We extend each higher Johnson homomorphism to a crossed homomorphism from the automorphism group of a finite-rank free group to a finite-rank abelian group. We also extend each Morita homomorphism to a crossed homomorphism from the mapping class group of once-bounded surface to a finite-rank abelian group. This improves on the author's previous results [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 7 (2007):1297-1326]. To prove the first result, we express the higher Johnson homomorphisms as coboundary maps in group cohomology. Our methods involve the topology of nilpotent homogeneous spaces and lattices in nilpotent Lie algebras. In particular, we develop a notion of the "polynomial straightening" of a singular homology chain in a nilpotent homogeneous space.Comment: 34 page