Horizontal and Vertical Five-Branes in Heterotic/F-Theory Duality

We consider the heterotic string on an elliptic Calabi-Yau three-fold with five-branes wrapping curves in the base ('horizontal' curves) of the Calabi-Yau as well as some elliptic fibers ('vertical' curves). We show that in this generalized set-up, where the association of the heterotic side with the $F$-theory side is changed relative to the purely vertical situation, the number of five-branes wrapping the elliptic fibers still matches the corresponding number of $F$-theory three-branes.Comment: 21 pages harvmac, reference adde

Fourier Mukai Transforms and Applications to String Theory

We give an introductory review of Fourier-Mukai transforms and their application to various aspects of moduli problems, string theory and mirror symmetry. We develop the necessary mathematical background for Fourier-Mukai transforms such as aspects of derived categories and integral functors as well as their relative version which becomes important for making precise the notion of fiberwise T-duality on elliptic Calabi-Yau threefolds. We discuss various applications of the Fourier-Mukai transform to D-branes on Calabi-Yau manifolds as well as homological mirror symmetry and the construction of vector bundles for heterotic string theory.Comment: 52 pages. To appear in Rev. R. Acad. Cienc. Exactas Fis. Nat. Ser. A Mat. Minor changes, reference of conjecture in section 7.5 changed, references update

Anomalous D-Brane Charge in F-Theory Compactifications

Tadpole cancellation in F-theory on an elliptic Calabi-Yau fourfold $X\to B_3$ demands some spacetime-filling three-branes (points in $B_3$). If moved to the discriminant surface, which supports the gauge group, and dissolved into a finite size instanton, the second Chern class of the corresponding bundle $E$ is expected to give a compensating contribution. However the dependence of D-brane charge on the geometry of $W$ and on the embedding $i: W\to B_3$ gives a correction to $c_2(E)$. We show how this is reconciled by considering the torsion sheaf $i_*E$ and discuss some integrality issues related to global properties of $X$ as well as the moduli space of this object.Comment: 11 pages, harvmac, reference adde