Non-associative Deformations of Geometry in Double Field Theory

Non-geometric string backgrounds were proposed to be related to a non-associative deformation of the space-time geometry. In the flux formulation of double field theory (DFT), the structure of mathematically possible non-associative deformations is analyzed in detail. It is argued that on-shell there should not be any violation of associativity in the effective DFT action. For imposing either the strong or the weaker closure constraint we discuss two possible non-associative deformations of DFT featuring two different ways how on-shell associativity can still be kept.Comment: 29 pages, 1 figure, v2: major revision of section 4, discussion of closure constraint change

Non-commutativity and non-associativity of the doubled string in non-geometric backgrounds

We use a T-duality invariant action to investigate the behaviour of a string in non-geometric backgrounds, where there is a non-trivial global $O(D,D)$ patching or monodromy. This action leads to a set of Dirac brackets describing the dynamics of the doubled string, with these brackets determined only by the monodromy. This allows for a simple derivation of non-commutativity and non-associativity in backgrounds which are (even locally) non-geometric. We focus here on the example of the three-torus with H-flux, finding non-commutativity but not non-associativity, and also comment on the relation to the exotic $5^2_2$ brane, which shares the same monodromy.Comment: 31 pages, v2: refs added, corrections to sec 5, results updated, v3: published version with additional discussion in sec

Open-String Non-Associativity in an R-flux Background

We derive the commutation relations for open-string coordinates on D-branes in non-geometric background spaces. Starting from D0-branes on a three-dimensional torus with H-flux, we show that open strings with end points on D3-branes in a three-dimensional R-flux background exhibit a non-associative phase-space algebra, which is similar to the non-associative R-flux algebra of closed strings. Therefore, the effective open-string gauge theory on the D3-branes is expected to be a non-associative gauge theory. We also point out differences between the non-associative phase space structure of open and closed strings in non-geometric backgrounds, which are related to the different structure of the world-sheet commutators of open and closed strings.Comment: 29 pages; v2: added section 3.5, minor changes; v3: published version, clarifications added in sections 3 and 4, added appendix B.

On some algebraic examples of Frobenius manifolds

We construct some explicit quasihomogeneous algebraic solutions to the associativity (WDVV) equations by using analytical methods of the finite gap integration theory. These solutions are expanded in the uniform way to non-semisimple Frobenius manifolds.Comment: 14 page