Semiclassical approximation in Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism

The geometry of supermanifolds provided with $Q$-structure (i.e. with odd vector field $Q$ satisfying $\{ Q,Q\} =0$), $P$-structure (odd symplectic structure ) and $S$-structure (volume element) or with various combinations of these structures is studied. The results are applied to the analysis of Batalin-Vilkovisky approach to the quantization of gauge theories. In particular the semiclassical approximation in this approach is expressed in terms of Reidemeister torsion.Comment: 27 page

Symmetry transformations in Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism

This short note is closely related to Sen-Zwiebach paper on gauge transformations in Batalin-Vilkovisky theory (hep-th 9309027). We formulate some conditions of physical equivalence of solutions to the quantum master equation and use these conditions to give a very transparent analysis of symmetry transformations in BV-approach. We prove that in some sense every quantum observable (i.e. every even function $H$ obeying $\Delta_{\rho}(He^S)=0$) determines a symmetry of the theory with the action functional $S$ satisfying quantum master equation $\Delta_{\rho}e^S=0$ \endComment: 3 page

Supergeometry and Arithmetic Geometry

We define a superspace over a ring $R$ as a functor on a subcategory of the category of supercommutative $R$-algebras. As an application the notion of a $p$-adic superspace is introduced and used to give a transparent construction of the Frobenius map on $p$-adic cohomology of a smooth projective variety over the ring of $p$-adic integers.Comment: 14 pages, expanded introduction, more detail

1/4-BPS states on noncommutative tori

We give an explicit expression for classical 1/4-BPS fields in supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory on noncommutative tori. We use it to study quantum 1/4-BPS states. In particular we calculate the degeneracy of 1/4-BPS energy levels.Comment: 15 pages, Latex; v.2 typos correcte

Some remarks on Gopakumar-Vafa invariants

We show that Gopakumar-Vafa invariants can be expressed in terms of the cohomology ring of moduli space of D-branes without reference to the sl_2 \times sl_2 action. We also give a simple construction of this action.Comment: 9 pages, some additions and clarifications, minor change

Space and time from translation symmetry

We show that the notions of space and time in algebraic quantum field theory arise from translation symmetry if we assume asymptotic commutativity. We argue that this construction can be applied to string theory.Comment: 10 pages, Essential changes and additions, in particular, in the discussion of string field theor