Closed String Field Theory: Quantum Action and the BV Master Equation

TL;DR

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Contribution

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Abstract

The complete quantum theory of covariant closed strings is constructed in detail. The action is defined by elementary vertices satisfying recursion relations that give rise to Jacobi-like identities for an infinite chain of string field products. The genus zero string field algebra is the homotopy Lie algebra $L_\infty$, and the higher genus algebraic structure implies the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) master equation. From these structures on the off-shell state space, we show how to derive the $L_\infty$ algebra, and the BV equation on physical states, recently constructed in d=2 string theory. The string diagrams are surfaces with minimal area metrics, foliated by closed geodesics of length $2\pi$. These metrics generalize quadratic differentials in that foliation bands can cross. The string vertices are succinctly characterized; they include the surfaces whose foliation bands are all of height smaller than $2\pi$. --While this is not a review paper, an effort was made to give a fairly complete and accessible account of the quantum closed string field theory.--