Some Navigation Rules for D-Brane Monodromy

We explore some aspects of monodromies of D-branes in the Kahler moduli space of Calabi-Yau compactifications. Here a D-brane is viewed as an object of the derived category of coherent sheaves. We compute all the interesting monodromies in some nontrivial examples and link our work to recent results and conjectures concerning helices and mutations. We note some particular properties of the 0-brane.Comment: LaTeX2e, 28 pages, 4 figures, some typos corrected and refs adde

Vertex Operators, Grassmannians, and Hilbert Schemes

We describe a well-known collection of vertex operators on the infinite wedge representation as a limit of geometric correspondences on the equivariant cohomology groups of a finite-dimensional approximation of the Sato grassmannian, by cutoffs in high and low degrees. We prove that locality, the boson-fermion correspondence, and intertwining relations with the Virasoro algebra are limits of the localization expression for the composition of these operators. We then show that these operators are, almost by definition, the Hilbert scheme vertex operators defined by Okounkov and the author in \cite{CO} when the surface is $\mathbb{C}^2$ with the torus action $z\cdot (x,y) = (zx,z^{-1}y)$.Comment: 20 pages, 0 figure

C^2/Z_n Fractional branes and Monodromy

We construct geometric representatives for the C^2/Z_n fractional branes in terms of branes wrapping certain exceptional cycles of the resolution. In the process we use large radius and conifold-type monodromies, and also check some of the orbifold quantum symmetries. We find the explicit Seiberg-duality which connects our fractional branes to the ones given by the McKay correspondence. We also comment on the Harvey-Moore BPS algebras.Comment: 34 pages, v1 identical to v2, v3: typos fixed, discussion of Harvey-Moore BPS algebras update

The Breakdown of Topology at Small Scales

We discuss how a topology (the Zariski topology) on a space can appear to break down at small distances due to D-brane decay. The mechanism proposed coincides perfectly with the phase picture of Calabi-Yau moduli spaces. The topology breaks down as one approaches non-geometric phases. This picture is not without its limitations, which are also discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

Sheaves on fibered threefolds and quiver sheaves

This paper classifies a class of holomorphic D-branes, closely related to framed torsion-free sheaves, on threefolds fibered in resolved ADE surfaces over a general curve C, in terms of representations with relations of a twisted Kronheimer--Nakajima-type quiver in the category Coh(C) of coherent sheaves on C. For the local Calabi--Yau case C\cong\A^1 and special choice of framing, one recovers the N=1 ADE quiver studied by Cachazo--Katz--Vafa.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, minor change

Perverse coherent t-structures through torsion theories

Bezrukavnikov (later together with Arinkin) recovered the work of Deligne defining perverse $t$-structures for the derived category of coherent sheaves on a projective variety. In this text we prove that these $t$-structures can be obtained through tilting torsion theories as in the work of Happel, Reiten and Smal\o. This approach proves to be slightly more general as it allows us to define, in the quasi-coherent setting, similar perverse $t$-structures for certain noncommutative projective planes.Comment: New revised version with important correction

A Point's Point of View of Stringy Geometry

The notion of a "point" is essential to describe the topology of spacetime. Despite this, a point probably does not play a particularly distinguished role in any intrinsic formulation of string theory. We discuss one way to try to determine the notion of a point from a worldsheet point of view. The derived category description of D-branes is the key tool. The case of a flop is analyzed and Pi-stability in this context is tied in to some ideas of Bridgeland. Monodromy associated to the flop is also computed via Pi-stability and shown to be consistent with previous conjectures.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, ref adde

Noncommutative resolutions of ADE fibered Calabi-Yau threefolds

In this paper we construct noncommutative resolutions of a certain class of Calabi-Yau threefolds studied by F. Cachazo, S. Katz and C. Vafa. The threefolds under consideration are fibered over a complex plane with the fibers being deformed Kleinian singularities. The construction is in terms of a noncommutative algebra introduced by V. Ginzburg, which we call the "N=1 ADE quiver algebra"

Solitons in Seiberg-Witten Theory and D-branes in the Derived Category

We analyze the "geometric engineering" limit of a type II string on a suitable Calabi-Yau threefold to obtain an N=2 pure SU(2) gauge theory. The derived category picture together with Pi-stability of B-branes beautifully reproduces the known spectrum of BPS solitons in this case in a very explicit way. Much of the analysis is particularly easy since it can be reduced to questions about the derived category of CP1.Comment: 20 pages, LaTex2