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arXiv · 2607.15336

The $\alpha$-states of a string worldsheet

Suzanne Bintanja·Elliott Gesteau
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Abstract

The worldsheet description of string amplitudes can be reinterpreted as a baby universe field theory. Under this reinterpretation, we determine the $\alpha$-states of a topological string theory: the Hurwitz worldsheet. We find that their relation to the Hartle--Hawking state encodes foundational results in the asymptotic representation theory of the symmetric group. In the holographic dual, our results characterize the pseudorandom nature of an ensemble of cluster-decomposing correlators.

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Suzanne Bintanja, Elliott Gesteau. 2026-07-16. The $\alpha$-states of a string worldsheet. https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.15336

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