Summing up Open String Instantons and N=1 String Amplitudes

Abstract

We compute the instanton expansions of the holomorphic couplings in the effective action of certain \cx N=1 supersymmetric four-dimensional open string vacua. These include the superpotential $W(\phi)$, the gauge kinetic function $f(\phi)$ and a series of other holomorphic couplings which are known to be related to amplitudes of topological open strings at higher world-sheet topologies. The results are in full agreement with the interpretation of the holomorphic couplings as counting functions of BPS domain walls. Similar techniques are used to compute genus one partition function for the closed topological string on Calabi--Yau 4-fold which gives rise to a theory with the same number of supercharges in two dimensions.Comment: 29 pages harvmac(b); v2: references adde