A remark on T-duality and quantum volumes of zero-brane moduli spaces

T-duality (Fourier-Mukai duality) and properties of classical instanton moduli spaces can be used to deduce some properties of $\alpha^{\prime}$-corrected moduli spaces of branes for Type IIA string theory compactified on $K3$ or $T^4$. Some interesting differences between the two compactifications are exhibited.Comment: 6-pages, Harvmac big, 2 figures; version 2 : ref added v3 : final JHEP version - minor clarification + ref adde

Zero-Branes on a Compact Orbifold

The non-commutative algebra which defines the theory of zero-branes on $T^4/Z_2$ allows a unified description of moduli spaces associated with zero-branes, two-branes and four-branes on the orbifold space. Bundles on a dual space $\hat T^4/Z_2$ play an important role in this description. We discuss these moduli spaces in the context of dualities of K3 compactifications, and in terms of properties of instantons on $T^4$. Zero-branes on the degenerate limits of the compact orbifold lead to fixed points with six-dimensional scale but not conformal invariance. We identify some of these in terms of the ADS dual of the $(0,2)$ theory at large $N$, giving evidence for an interesting picture of "where the branes live" in ADS.Comment: 34 pages (harvmac big); version to appear in JHE

Non commutative gravity from the ADS/CFT correspondence

The exclusion principle of Maldacena and Strominger is seen to follow from deformed Heisenberg algebras associated with the chiral rings of S_N orbifold CFTs. These deformed algebras are related to quantum groups at roots of unity, and are interpreted as algebras of space-time field creation and annihilation operators. We also propose, as space-time origin of the stringy exclusion principle, that the $ADS_3 \times S^3$ space-time of the associated six-dimensional supergravity theory acquires, when quantum effects are taken into account, a non-commutative structure given by $SU_q(1,1) \times SU_q (2)$. Both remarks imply that finite N effects are captured by quantum groups $SL_q(2)$ with $q= e^{{i \pi \over {N + 1}}}$. This implies that a proper framework for the theories in question is given by gravity on a non-commutative spacetime with a q-deformation of field oscillators. An interesting consequence of this framework is a holographic interpretation for a product structure in the space of all unitary representations of the non-compact quantum group $SU_q(1,1)$ at roots of unity.Comment: 28 pages in harvmac big ; v2: Minor corrections, ref adde

Wilson Loops in 2D Yang Mills: Euler characters and Loop equations

We give a simple diagrammatic algorithm for writing the chiral large $N$ expansion of intersecting Wilson loops in $2D$ $SU(N)$ and $U(N)$Yang Mills theory in terms of symmetric groups, generalizing the result of Gross and Taylor for partition functions. We prove that these expansions compute Euler characters of a space of holomorphic maps from string worldsheets with boundaries. We prove that the Migdal-Makeenko equations hold for the chiral theory and show that they can be expressed as linear constraints on perturbations of the chiral $YM2$ partition functions. We briefly discuss finite $N$ , the non-chiral expansion, and higher dimensional lattice models.Comment: 55 pages, harvmac, 35 figure

Large N 2D Yang-Mills Theory and Topological String Theory

We describe a topological string theory which reproduces many aspects of the 1/N expansion of SU(N) Yang-Mills theory in two spacetime dimensions in the zero coupling (A=0) limit. The string theory is a modified version of topological gravity coupled to a topological sigma model with spacetime as target. The derivation of the string theory relies on a new interpretation of Gross and Taylor's ``\Omega^{-1} points.'' We describe how inclusion of the area, coupling of chiral sectors, and Wilson loop expectation values can be incorporated in the topological string approach.Comment: 95 pages, 15 Postscript figures, uses harvmac (Please use the "large" print option.) Extensive revisions of the sections on topological field theory. Added a compact synopsis of topological field theory. Minor typos corrected. References adde