Melting Crystal, Quantum Torus and Toda Hierarchy

Searching for the integrable structures of supersymmetric gauge theories and topological strings, we study melting crystal, which is known as random plane partition, from the viewpoint of integrable systems. We show that a series of partition functions of melting crystals gives rise to a tau function of the one-dimensional Toda hierarchy, where the models are defined by adding suitable potentials, endowed with a series of coupling constants, to the standard statistical weight. These potentials can be converted to a commutative sub-algebra of quantum torus Lie algebra. This perspective reveals a remarkable connection between random plane partition and quantum torus Lie algebra, and substantially enables to prove the statement. Based on the result, we briefly argue the integrable structures of five-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric gauge theories and $A$-model topological strings. The aforementioned potentials correspond to gauge theory observables analogous to the Wilson loops, and thereby the partition functions are translated in the gauge theory to generating functions of their correlators. In topological strings, we particularly comment on a possibility of topology change caused by condensation of these observables, giving a simple example.Comment: Final version to be published in Commun. Math. Phys. . A new section is added and devoted to Conclusion and discussion, where, in particular, a possible relation with the generating function of the absolute Gromov-Witten invariants on CP^1 is commented. Two references are added. Typos are corrected. 32 pages. 4 figure

Canonical treatment of two dimensional gravity as an anomalous gauge theory

The extended phase space method of Batalin, Fradkin and Vilkovisky is applied to formulate two dimensional gravity in a general class of gauges. A BRST formulation of the light-cone gauge is presented to reveal the relationship between the BRST symmetry and the origin of $SL(2,R)$ current algebra. From the same principle we derive the conformal gauge action suggested by David, Distler and Kawai.Comment: 11 pages, KANAZAWA-92-1

Unified picture of Q-balls and boson stars via catastrophe theory

We make an analysis of Q-balls and boson stars using catastrophe theory, as an extension of the previous work on Q-balls in flat spacetime. We adopt the potential $V_3(\phi)={m^2\over2}\phi^2-\mu\phi^3+\lambda\phi^4$ for Q-balls and that with $\mu =0$ for boson stars. For solutions with $|g^{rr}-1|\sim 1$ at its peak, stability of Q-balls has been lost regardless of the potential parameters. As a result, phase relations, such as a Q-ball charge versus a total Hamiltonian energy, approach those of boson stars, which tell us an unified picture of Q-balls and boson stars.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figure