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On Background Independent Open-String Field Theory

Edward Witten
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Abstract

A framework for background independent open-string field theory is proposed. The approach involves using the BV formalism -- in a way suggested by recent developments in closed-string field theory -- to implicitly define a gauge invariant Lagrangian in a hypothetical ``space of all open-string world-sheet theories.'' It is built into the formalism that classical solutions of the string field theory are BRST invariant open-string world-sheet theories and that, when expanding around a classical solution, the infinitesimal gauge transformations are generated by the world-sheet BRST operator.

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Edward Witten. 1992-08-10. On Background Independent Open-String Field Theory. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.46.5467

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