Open String Diagrams I: Topological Type

An arbitrary Feynman graph for string field theory interactions is analysed and the homeomorphism type of the corresponding world sheet surface is completely determined even in the non-orientable cases. Algorithms are found to mechanically compute the topological characteristics of the resulting surface from the structure of the signed oriented graph. Whitney's permutation-theoretic coding of graphs is utilized

Determinant Bundles, Quillen Metrics, and Mumford Isomorphisms Over the Universal Commensurability Teichm\"uller Space

There exists on each Teichm\"uller space $T_g$ (comprising compact Riemann surfaces of genus $g$), a natural sequence of determinant (of cohomology) line bundles, $DET_n$, related to each other via certain ``Mumford isomorphisms''. There is a remarkable connection, (Belavin-Knizhnik), between the Mumford isomorphisms and the existence of the Polyakov string measure on the Teichm\"uller space. This suggests the question of finding a genus-independent formulation of these bundles and their isomorphisms. In this paper we combine a Grothendieck-Riemann-Roch lemma with a new concept of $C^{*} \otimes Q$ bundles to construct such an universal version. Our universal objects exist over the universal space, $T_\infty$, which is the direct limit of the $T_g$ as the genus varies over the tower of all unbranched coverings of any base surface. The bundles and the connecting isomorphisms are equivariant with respect to the natural action of the universal commensurability modular group.Comment: ACTA MATHEMATICA (to appear); finalised version with a note of clarification regarding the connection of the commensurability modular group with the virtual automorphism group of the fundamental group of a closed Riemann surface; 25 pages. LATE