@article{1eca2975b9e54763bbfc8a6b05b1bf81,
title = "Bosonic string algebras",
abstract = "We discuss some aspects of symmetry breakings in string theories. We mainly focus on the algebra of bosonic strings, but suspect similar ideas may be used for superstring theories. We point out a curious relation between the partition function of certain bosonic string theories and superstring theories.",
author = "C. Vafa and E. Witten",
note = "Funding Information: Supported in part by the National ScienceF oundation Grant No. PHY80-19754 In this note we will focus on the 26-dimensional bosonic string theories and try to see a 'stringy' way the spacetime symmetries may be broken. Our discussions do not have a direct bearing on the symmetry breakings in the superstring theories but may find some applications there. We also comment on how similar ideas may be used to realize gauge symmetry breakings. This note may be viewed as an exercise for the case of the superstrings. Perhaps the most mysterious aspect of string theories is the way in which the global symmetries as seen from the two-dimensional perspective of the world sheet, manifest themselves as local symmetries of the outside world. In this way, for instance, the global Poincar6 symmetry of the world sheet, is transformed by the magic of strings, to general coordinate invariance of the spacetime. Consider some conserved current J~ on the world sheet. This conserved current manifests itself in the spectrum of the theory by the corresponding conserved charge Q:",
year = "1985",
month = sep,
day = "26",
doi = "10.1016/0370-2693(85)90247-3",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "159",
pages = "265--268",
journal = "Physics Letters B",
issn = "0370-2693",
publisher = "Elsevier",
number = "4-6",
}