Vertex operator algebras and operads

Vertex operator algebras are mathematically rigorous objects corresponding to chiral algebras in conformal field theory. Operads are mathematical devices to describe operations, that is, $n$-ary operations for all $n$ greater than or equal to $0$, not just binary products. In this paper, a reformulation of the notion of vertex operator algebra in terms of operads is presented. This reformulation shows that the rich geometric structure revealed in the study of conformal field theory and the rich algebraic structure of the theory of vertex operator algebras share a precise common foundation in basic operations associated with a certain kind of (two-dimensional) ``complex'' geometric object, in the sense in which classical algebraic structures (groups, algebras, Lie algebras and the like) are always implicitly based on (one-dimensional) ``real'' geometric objects. In effect, the standard analogy between point-particle theory and string theory is being shown to manifest itself at a more fundamental mathematical level.Comment: 16 pages. Only the definitions of "partial operad" and of "rescaling group" have been improve

Algebraic Rieffel Induction, Formal Morita Equivalence, and Applications to Deformation Quantization

In this paper we consider algebras with involution over a ring C which is given by the quadratic extension by i of an ordered ring R. We discuss the *-representation theory of such *-algebras on pre-Hilbert spaces over C and develop the notions of Rieffel induction and formal Morita equivalence for this category analogously to the situation for C^*-algebras. Throughout this paper the notion of positive functionals and positive algebra elements will be crucial for all constructions. As in the case of C^*-algebras, we show that the GNS construction of *-representations can be understood as Rieffel induction and, moreover, that formal Morita equivalence of two *-algebras, which is defined by the existence of a bimodule with certain additional structures, implies the equivalence of the categories of strongly non-degenerate *-representations of the two *-algebras. We discuss various examples like finite rank operators on pre-Hilbert spaces and matrix algebras over *-algebras. Formal Morita equivalence is shown to imply Morita equivalence in the ring-theoretic framework. Finally we apply our considerations to deformation theory and in particular to deformation quantization and discuss the classical limit and the deformation of equivalence bimodules.Comment: LaTeX2e, 51pages, minor typos corrected and Note/references adde

Deformation theory of objects in homotopy and derived categories III: abelian categories

This is the third paper in a series. In part I we developed a deformation theory of objects in homotopy and derived categories of DG categories. Here we show how this theory can be used to study deformations of objects in homotopy and derived categories of abelian categories. Then we consider examples from (noncommutative) algebraic geometry. In particular, we study noncommutative Grassmanians that are true noncommutative moduli spaces of structure sheaves of projective subspaces in projective spaces.Comment: Alexander Efimov is a new co-author of this paper. Besides some minor changes, a new part (part 3) about noncommutative Grassmanians was adde