Morita classes in the homology of automorphism groups of free groups

Using Kontsevich's identification of the homology of the Lie algebra l_infty with the cohomology of Out(F_r), Morita defined a sequence of 4k-dimensional classes mu_k in the unstable rational homology of Out(F_{2k+2}). He showed by a computer calculation that the first of these is non-trivial, so coincides with the unique non-trivial rational homology class for Out(F_4). Using the "forested graph complex" introduced in [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 3 (2003) 1167--1224], we reinterpret and generalize Morita's cycles, obtaining an unstable cycle for every connected odd-valent graph. (Morita has independently found similar generalizations of these cycles.) The description of Morita's original cycles becomes quite simple in this interpretation, and we are able to show that the second Morita cycle also gives a nontrivial homology class. Finally, we view things from the point of view of a different chain complex, one which is associated to Bestvina and Feighn's bordification of outer space. We construct cycles which appear to be the same as the Morita cycles constructed in the first part of the paper. In this setting, a further generalization becomes apparent, giving cycles for objects more general than odd-valent graphs. Some of these cycles lie in the stable range. We also observe that these cycles lift to cycles for Aut(F_r).Comment: Published by Geometry and Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/gt/GTVol8/paper40.abs.htm

Deformation quantization of Poisson manifolds, I

I prove that every finite-dimensional Poisson manifold X admits a canonical deformation quantization. Informally, it means that the set of equivalence classes of associative algebras close to the algebra of functions on X is in one-to-one correspondence with the set of equivalence classes of Poisson structures on X modulo diffeomorphisms. In fact, a more general statement is proven ("Formality conjecture"), relating the Lie superalgebra of polyvector fields on X and the Hochschild complex of the algebra of functions on X. Coefficients in explicit formulas for the deformed product can be interpreted as correlators in a topological open string theory, although I do not use explicitly the language of functional integrals. One of corollaries is a justification of the orbit method in the representation theory.Comment: plain TeX and epsf.tex, 46 pages, 24 figure

Topological conformal field theories and gauge theories

This paper gives a construction, using heat kernels, of differential forms on the moduli space of metrised ribbon graphs, or equivalently on the moduli space of Riemann surfaces with boundary. The construction depends on a manifold with a bundle of Frobenius algebras, satisfying various conditions. These forms satisfy gluing conditions which mean they form an open topological conformal field theory, i.e. a kind of open string theory. If the integral of these forms converged, it would yield the purely quantum part of the partition function of a Chern-Simons type gauge theory. Yang-Mills theory on a four manifold arises as one of these Chern-Simons type gauge theories.Comment: A few more typos correcte