Superanalogs of symplectic and contact geometry and their applications to quantum field theory

The paper contains a short review of the theory of symplectic and contact manifolds and of the generalization of this theory to the case of supermanifolds. It is shown that this generalization can be used to obtain some important results in quantum field theory. In particular, regarding $N$-superconformal geometry as particular case of contact complex geometry, one can better understand $N=2$ superconformal field theory and its connection to topological conformal field theory. The odd symplectic geometry constitutes a mathematical basis of Batalin-Vilkovisky procedure of quantization of gauge theories. The exposition is based mostly on published papers. However, the paper contains also a review of some unpublished results (in the section devoted to the axiomatics of $N=2$ superconformal theory and topological quantum field theory). The paper will be published in Berezin memorial volume.Comment: 18 page

Grassmannian and string theory

Infinite-dimensional Grassmannian manifold contains moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces of all genera. This well known fact leads to a conjecture that non-perturbative string theory can be formulated in terms of Grassmannian. We present new facts supporting this hypothesis. In particular, it is shown that Grassmannians can be considered as generalized moduli spaces; this statement permits us to define corresponding "string amplitudes" (at least formally). One can conjecture, that it is possible to explain the relation between non-perturbative and perturbative string theory by means of localization theorems for equivariant cohomology; this conjecture is based on the characterization of moduli spaces, relevant to string theory, as sets consisting of points with large stabilizers in certain groups acting on Grassmannian. We describe an involution on the Grassmannian that could be related to S-duality in string theory.Comment: 28 pages, Latex( Minor corrections. References added.

Quantum curves

One says that a pair (P,Q) of ordinary differential operators specify a quantum curve if [P,Q]=const. If a pair of difference operators (K,L) obey the relation KL=const LK we say that they specify a discrete quantum curve. This terminology is prompted by well known results about commuting differential and difference operators, relating pairs of such operators with pairs of meromorphic functions on algebraic curves obeying some conditions. The goal of this paper is to study the moduli spaces of quantum curves. We will show how to quantize a pair of commuting differential or difference operators (i.e. to construct the corresponding quantum curve or discrete quantum curve). The KP-hierarchy acts on the moduli space of quantum curves; we prove that similarly the discrete KP-hierarchy acts on the moduli space of discrete quantum curves.Comment: New results, some correction

Noncommutative instantons: a new approach

We discuss instantons on noncommutative four-dimensional Euclidean space. In commutative case one can consider instantons directly on Euclidean space, then we should restrict ourselves to the gauge fields that are gauge equivalent to the trivial field at infinity. However, technically it is more convenient to work on four-dimensional sphere. We will show that the situation in noncommutative case is quite similar. One can analyze instantons taking as a starting point the algebra of smooth functions vanishing at infinity, but it is convenient to add a unit element to this algebra (this corresponds to a transition to a sphere at the level of topology). Our approach is more rigorous than previous considerations ; it seems that it is also simpler and more transparent. In particular, we obtain the ADHM equations in a very simple way

Gauge theories on noncommutative euclidean spaces

We consider gauge theories on noncommutative euclidean space . In particular, we discuss the structure of gauge group following standard mathematical definitions and using the ideas of hep-th/0102182.Comment: Corrections made, references adde

Symmetry transformations in Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism

This short note is closely related to Sen-Zwiebach paper on gauge transformations in Batalin-Vilkovisky theory (hep-th 9309027). We formulate some conditions of physical equivalence of solutions to the quantum master equation and use these conditions to give a very transparent analysis of symmetry transformations in BV-approach. We prove that in some sense every quantum observable (i.e. every even function $H$ obeying $\Delta_{\rho}(He^S)=0$) determines a symmetry of the theory with the action functional $S$ satisfying quantum master equation $\Delta_{\rho}e^S=0$ \endComment: 3 page