20,772 research outputs found
Scaling Limit of the Ising Model in a Field
The dilute A_3 model is a solvable IRF (interaction round a face) model with
three local states and adjacency conditions encoded by the Dynkin diagram of
the Lie algebra A_3. It can be regarded as a solvable version of an Ising model
at the critical temperature in a magnetic field. One therefore expects the
scaling limit to be governed by Zamolodchikov's integrable perturbation of the
c=1/2 conformal field theory. Indeed, a recent thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz
approach succeeded to unveil the corresponding E_8 structure under certain
assumptions on the nature of the Bethe Ansatz solutions. In order to check
these conjectures, we perform a detailed numerical investigation of the
solutions of the Bethe Ansatz equations for the critical and off-critical
model. Scaling functions for the ground-state corrections and for the lowest
spectral gaps are obtained, which give very precise numerical results for the
lowest mass ratios in the massive scaling limit. While these agree perfectly
with the E_8 mass ratios, we observe one state which seems to violate the
assumptions underlying the thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz calculation. We also
analyze the critical spectrum of the dilute A_3 model, which exhibits massive
excitations on top of the massless states of the Ising conformal field theory.Comment: 29 pages, RevTeX, 11 PostScript figures included by epsf, using
amssymb.sty (v2.2
On the Complexity and Behaviour of Cryptocurrencies Compared to Other Markets
We show that the behaviour of Bitcoin has interesting similarities to stock
and precious metal markets, such as gold and silver. We report that whilst
Litecoin, the second largest cryptocurrency, closely follows Bitcoin's
behaviour, it does not show all the reported properties of Bitcoin. Agreements
between apparently disparate complexity measures have been found, and it is
shown that statistical, information-theoretic, algorithmic and fractal measures
have different but interesting capabilities of clustering families of markets
by type. The report is particularly interesting because of the range and novel
use of some measures of complexity to characterize price behaviour, because of
the IRS designation of Bitcoin as an investment property and not a currency,
and the announcement of the Canadian government's own electronic currency
MintChip.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, 4 table
Backlund Transformations, D-Branes, and Fluxes in Minimal Type 0 Strings
We study the Type 0A string theory in the (2,4k) superconformal minimal model
backgrounds, focusing on the fully non-perturbative string equations which
define the partition function of the model. The equations admit a parameter,
Gamma, which in the spacetime interpretation controls the number of background
D-branes, or R-R flux units, depending upon which weak coupling regime is
taken. We study the properties of the string equations (often focusing on the
(2,4) model in particular) and their physical solutions. The solutions are the
potential for an associated Schrodinger problem whose wavefunction is that of
an extended D-brane probe. We perform a numerical study of the spectrum of this
system for varying Gamma and establish that when Gamma is a positive integer
the equations' solutions have special properties consistent with the spacetime
interpretation. We also show that a natural solution-generating transformation
(that changes Gamma by an integer) is the Backlund transformation of the KdV
hierarchy specialized to (scale invariant) solitons at zero velocity. Our
results suggest that the localized D-branes of the minimal string theories are
directly related to the solitons of the KdV hierarchy. Further, we observe an
interesting transition when Gamma=-1.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure
A paradigm of open/closed duality: Liouville D-branes and the Kontsevich model
We argue that topological matrix models (matrix models of the Kontsevich
type) are examples of exact open/closed duality. The duality works at finite N
and for generic `t Hooft couplings. We consider in detail the paradigm of the
Kontsevich model for two-dimensional topological gravity. We demonstrate that
the Kontsevich model arises by topological localization of cubic open string
field theory on N stable branes. Our analysis is based on standard worldsheet
methods in the context of non-critical bosonic string theory. The stable branes
have Neumann (FZZT) boundary conditions in the Liouville direction. Several
generalizations are possible.Comment: v2: References added; a new section with generalization to non-zero
bulk cosmological constant; expanded discussion on topological localization;
added some comment
Tachyon Condensation, Open-Closed Duality, Resolvents, and Minimal Bosonic and Type 0 Strings
Type 0A string theory in the (2,4k) superconformal minimal model backgrounds
and the bosonic string in the (2,2k-1) conformal minimal models, while
perturbatively identical in some regimes, may be distinguished
non-perturbatively using double scaled matrix models. The resolvent of an
associated Schrodinger operator plays three very important interconnected
roles, which we explore perturbatively and non-perturbatively. On one hand, it
acts as a source for placing D-branes and fluxes into the background, while on
the other, it acts as a probe of the background, its first integral yielding
the effective force on a scaled eigenvalue. We study this probe at disc, torus
and annulus order in perturbation theory, in order to characterize the effects
of D-branes and fluxes on the matrix eigenvalues. On a third hand, the
integrated resolvent forms a representation of a twisted boson in an associated
conformal field theory. The entire content of the closed string theory can be
expressed in terms of Virasoro constraints on the partition function, which is
realized as wavefunction in a coherent state of the boson. Remarkably, the
D-brane or flux background is simply prepared by acting with a vertex operator
of the twisted boson. This generates a number of sharp examples of open-closed
duality, both old and new. We discuss whether the twisted boson conformal field
theory can usefully be thought of as another holographic dual of the
non-critical string theory.Comment: 37 pages, some figures, LaTe
(Multi)Matrix Models and Interacting Clones of Liouville Gravity
Large-N matrix models coupled via multitrace operators are used to define,
via appropriate double-scaling limits, solvable models of interacting
multi-string theories. It is shown that although such theories are non-local at
the world-sheet level they have a simple description of the spacetime physics.
Such theories share the main characteristics of similarly coupled
higher-dimensional CFTs. An interpretation has been given in the past of
similar continuum limits in terms of Liouville interactions that violate the
Seiberg bound. We provide a novel interpretation of this relation which agrees
with the current understanding of Liouville theory and analogous observations
in the AdS/CFT correspondence.Comment: 45 pages, 4 figures; v2 references added, version to appear in JHE
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