Prepotential, Mirror Map and F-Theory on K3

We compute certain one-loop corrections to F^4 couplings of the heterotic string compactified on T^2, and show that they can be characterized by holomorphic prepotentials. We then discuss how some of these couplings can be obtained in F-theory, or more precisely from 7-brane geometry in type IIB language. We in particular study theories with E_8 x E_8 and SO(8)^4 gauge symmetry, on certain one-dimensional sub-spaces of the moduli space that correspond to constant IIB coupling. For these theories, the relevant geometry can be mapped to Riemann surfaces. Physically, the computations amount to non-trivial tests of the basic F-theory -- heterotic duality in eight dimensions. Mathematically, they mean to associate holomorphic 5-point couplings of the form (del_t)^5 G = sum[ g_l l^5 q^l/(1-q^l) ] to K3 surfaces. This can be seen as a novel manifestation of the mirror map, acting here between open and closed string sectors.Comment: 36 pages, 2 figures (published version

1/4 BPS States and Non-Perturbative Couplings in N=4 String Theories

We compute certain 2K+4-point, one-loop couplings in the type IIA string compactified on K3 x T^2, which are related to a topological index on this manifold. Their special feature is that they are sensitive to only short and intermediate BPS multiplets. The couplings derive from underlying prepotentials G[K](T,U), which can be nicely summed up into a fundamental generating function. In the dual heterotic string on T^6, the amplitudes describe non-perturbative gravitational corrections to K-loop amplitudes due to bound states of fivebrane instantons with heterotic world-sheet instantons. We argue, as a consequence, that our results also give information about instanton configurations in six dimensional Sp(2k) gauge theories on T^6.Comment: 32 p, harvmac, 1 fig. Revision: taking the fermionic contractions into account, the K3 elliptic genus disappear

Nonperturbative Effective Actions of N=2 Supersymmetric Gauge Theories

We elaborate on our previous work on N=2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. In particular, we show how to explicitly determine the low energy quantum effective action for $G=SU(3)$ from the underlying hyperelliptic Riemann surface, and calculate the leading instanton corrections. This is done by solving Picard-Fuchs equations and asymptotically evaluating period integrals. We find that the dynamics of the $SU(3)$ theory is governed by an Appell system of type $F_4$, and compute the exact quantum gauge coupling explicitly in terms of Appell functions.Comment: 57p, harvmac with hyperlinks, 9 uuencoded ps figure

On the Monodromies of N=2 Supersymmetric Yang-Mills Theory

We review the generalization of the work of Seiberg and Witten on N=2 supersymmetric SU(2) Yang-Mills theory to SU(n) gauge groups. The quantum moduli spaces of the effective low energy theory parametrize a special family of hyperelliptic genus n-1 Riemann surfaces. We discuss the massless spectrum and the monodromies.Comment: 15p, harvmac/lanlmac with hyperlinks, 4 uuencoded compressed postscript figures appende

Quartic Gauge Couplings from K3 Geometry

We show how certain F^4 couplings in eight dimensions can be computed using the mirror map and K3 data. They perfectly match with the corresponding heterotic one-loop couplings, and therefore this amounts to a successful test of the conjectured duality between the heterotic string on T^2 and F-theory on K3. The underlying quantum geometry appears to be a 5-fold, consisting of a hyperk"ahler 4-fold fibered over a IP^1 base. The natural candidate for this fiber is the symmetric product Sym^2(K3). We are lead to this structure by analyzing the implications of higher powers of E_2 in the relevant Borcherds counting functions, and in particular the appropriate generalizations of the Picard-Fuchs equations for the K3.Comment: 32 p, harvmac; One footnote on page 11 extended; results unchanged; Version subm. to ATM

Non-Abelian Born-Infeld Action and Type I - Heterotic Duality (II): Nonrenormalization Theorems

Type I - heterotic duality in D=10 predicts various relations and constraints on higher order F^n couplings at different string loop levels on both sides. We prove the vanishing of two-loop corrections to the heterotic F^4 terms, which is one of the basic predictions from this duality. Furthermore, we show that the heterotic F^5 and (CP even) F^6 couplings are not renormalized at one loop. These results strengthen the conjecture that in D=10 any Tr F^(2n) coupling appears only at the disc tree-level on type I side and at (n-1)-loop level on the heterotic side. Our non-renormalization theorems are valid in any heterotic string vacuum with sixteen supercharges.Comment: 35 pages, harvmac; cosmetic changes; final version to appear in NP

Prepotentials from Symmetric Products

We investigate the prepotential that describes certain F^4 couplings in eight dimensional string compactifications, and show how they can be computed from the solutions of inhomogenous differential equations. These appear to have the form of the Picard-Fuchs equations of a fibration of Sym^2(K3) over P^1. Our findings give support to the conjecture that the relevant geometry which underlies these couplings is given by a five-fold.Comment: 19p, harvmac; One sign in eq. (A.2) change

Picard-Fuchs Equations and Special Geometry

We investigate the system of holomorphic differential identities implied by special K\"ahlerian geometry of four-dimensional N=2 supergravity. For superstring compactifications on \cy threefolds these identities are equivalent to the Picard-Fuchs equations of algebraic geometry that are obeyed by the periods of the holomorphic three-form. For one variable they reduce to linear fourth-order equations which are characterized by classical $W$-generators; we find that the instanton corrections to the Yukawa couplings are directly related to the non-vanishing of $w_4$. We also show that the symplectic structure of special geometry can be related to the fact that the Yukawa couplings can be written as triple derivatives of some holomorphic function $F$. Moreover, we give the precise relationship of the Yukawa couplings of special geometry with three-point functions in topological field theory.Comment: 43 page

String Amplitudes and N=2, d=4 Prepotential in Heterotic K3 x T^2 Compactifications

For the gauge couplings, which arise after toroidal compactification of six-dimensional heterotic N=1 string theories from the T^2 torus, we calculate their one-loop corrections. This is performed by considering string amplitudes involving two gauge fields and moduli fields. We compare our results with the equations following from N=2 special geometry and the underlying prepotential of the theory. Moreover we find relations between derivatives of the N=2, d=4 prepotential and world-sheet tau-integrals which appear in various string amplitudes of any T^2-compactification.Comment: 28 TeX pages, uses harvmac, Final Version to appear in NP

On Heterotic/Type I Duality in d=8

We discuss heterotic corrections to quartic internal U(1) gauge couplings and check duality by calculating one-loop open string diagrams and identifying the D-instanton sum in the dual type I picture. We also compute SO(8)^4 threshold corrections and finally R^2 corrections in type I theory.Comment: 9 pages, Latex, To appear in the proceedings of "Quantum Aspects of Gauge Theories, Supersymmetries and Unification", Corfu, September 199