arXiv subjects

Lorenz Eberhardt

Publications and source records attributed to Lorenz Eberhardt.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Precision asymptotics of string amplitudes

Recent work revealed a tension between the Gross-Mende analysis of the high-energy fixed-angle behavior of string amplitudes and the explicit numerical data. Motivated by this puzzle, we revisit the problem of classifying saddle-point geometries for the one-loop amplitude. We find an infinite family of complex saddles that dominate the high-energy regime. Using general constraints and matching to numerical data, we formulate a bootstrap problem that determines their multiplicities. This procedure yields a precise asymptotic expansion of the one-loop amplitude at high energies. The resulting oscillatory contributions lead to a much richer high-energy behavior than that predicted by the original Gross-Mende analysis.

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arXiv2026

Classification of c=1 CFTs

We completely classify unitary 2d CFTs with central charge $c=1$ and discrete spectrum. We confirm the folklore that the only such theories are the compact free boson, its $\mathbb{Z}_2$-orbifold, and three exceptional theories obtained as orbifolds of the SU(2)$_1$ WZW model. The proof is by recasting the $c=1$ modular bootstrap as a crystalline measure problem for the density of states, and analytically solving it. We also show that, once the density of states is specified, the full CFT can be uniquely reconstructed.

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arXiv2026

CFT characters from localization

We explain a general procedure to compute characters of chiral algebras of 2d (S)CFTs geometrically from their coadjoint orbits, in analogy with the coadjoint orbit method for finite-dimensional Lie groups. We demonstrate that this method can be used to give concise rederivations of the characters of the Virasoro algebra, Kac-Moody algebras, as well as supersymmetric generalizations.

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arXiv2026

What makes spacetime spin in string theory?

Type II string theory in the absence of orientifolds requires the target spacetime $X$ to admit a spin structure. We show that this familiar requirement arises directly from the consistency of the worldsheet GSO projection. The obstruction is a mixed global anomaly between $(-1)^{\text{F}_L}$ and the target space background data, detected by the spin bordism group $Ω_3^{\mathrm{spin}}(B\mathbb{Z}_2\times X)$. We compute the relevant mixed bordism group and identify the bordism class of the GSO-projected worldsheet theory. For smooth target spaces, vanishing of the anomaly reduces to the condition that $X$ is spin, while for general orbifolds $[\hat{X}/G]$, $\hat{X}$ has to carry a $G$-equivariant spin structure. We also classify all possible theta angles in the worldsheet theory and show that they correspond to all possible continuous and discrete background fields of the target space theory visible in string perturbation theory.

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arXiv2026

The Super Virasoro Minimal String from 3d Supergravity

The super Virasoro minimal string is defined by coupling spacelike and timelike super Liouville theories on the worldsheet. There are four different theories 0A$^\pm$ and 0B$^\pm$ depending on discrete choices on the worldsheet. We show that these theories arise naturally from quantization of 3d supergravity, and the amplitudes compute the dimension ($+$) or superdimension ($-$) of the space of $\mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal blocks modulo crossing symmetry. Both 0A$^+$ and 0B$^+$ are perturbatively dual to the same matrix integral as the bosonic Virasoro minimal string, while 0B$^-$ is dual to a matrix integral with an inverse square root singularity. We show that all non-trivial perturbative amplitudes of the 0A$^-$ theory vanish.

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arXiv2026

The Runkel-Watts string

We introduce and solve a new family of two-dimensional string theories obtained by coupling Liouville CFT to the generalized Runkel-Watts CFT. By taking an appropriate limit of the complex Liouville string, we derive an all-genus formula for its string amplitudes, and formulate a duality with a matrix integral. We explain that it can be interpreted as 2d SU(2) Yang-Mills theory coupled to gravity. We show that it also directly relates to other minimal string constructions such as the A-series minimal string.

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arXiv2026

$c=1$ strings as a matrix integral

We study the perturbative $S$-matrix of the $c=1$ string and show that it admits a description in terms of a double-scaled (0+0)-dimensional matrix integral based on the spectral curve $\mathsf{x}(z) = 2\sqrt{2}\cos(z)$, $\mathsf{y}(z)=\sin(z)$. Combined with the famous duality to matrix quantum mechanics, this establishes a triality between three formulations of the theory: the worldsheet description, matrix quantum mechanics, and a matrix integral. Starting from the intersection number expressions for the complex Liouville string, we derive closed-form Feynman rule expressions for the $c=1$ amplitudes as intersection numbers on the moduli space of Riemann surfaces. The intersection theory naturally computes amplitudes corresponding to a discretized target space where momentum is conserved only modulo an integer. The physical $S$-matrix elements are recovered by restriction to the first `Brillouin zone' and analytic continuation to Lorentzian kinematics. We prove that these amplitudes satisfy perturbative spacetime unitarity directly from the intersection theory expressions, and show that they satisfy a Mirzakhani-type recursion relation. We show detailed agreement with the known matrix quantum mechanics results, providing strong evidence for the triality.

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arXiv2026

A universal sum over topologies in 3d gravity

We explore the sum over topologies in AdS$_3$ quantum gravity and its relationship with the statistical interpretation of the boundary theory. We formulate a statistical version of the conformal bootstrap that systematizes the universal statistical properties of high-energy CFT$_2$ data. We identify a series of surgery moves on bulk manifolds that precisely reflect the requirements of typicality and crossing symmetry of the boundary ensemble. These surgery moves generate a large number of bulk manifolds that have to be included in any reasonable definition of the gravitational path integral. We show that this procedure generates only on-shell (hyperbolic) manifolds, although it does not produce all of them. These proofs rely on structure theorems of 3-manifolds, which non-trivially interact with the requirements of the statistical boundary ensemble. We illustrate the application of this procedure with many examples, such as Euclidean wormholes, twisted $I$-bundles and handlebody-knots. Our findings reveal a large space of possible choices of which manifolds can be included in the gravitational path integral, reflecting a wide range of possible statistical ensembles consistent with crossing symmetry and typicality.

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arXiv2026

A localising AdS$_3$ sigma model

We construct a CFT with $\mathfrak{sl}(2,\mathbb{R})_k$ symmetry at the `tensionless' point $k=3$, which is distinct from the usual $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})_{k=3}$ WZW model. This new CFT is much simpler than the generic WZW model: in particular its three-point functions feature momentum-conserving delta functions, and its higher-point functions localise to covering map configurations in moduli space. We establish the consistency of the theory by explicitly deriving the four-point function from the three-point data via a sum over conformal blocks. The main motivation for our construction comes from holography, and we show that various simple supersymmetric holographic dualities for $k_{\rm s}=1$ ($k=3$) can be constructed by replacing the $\mathrm{AdS}_3$ factor on the worldsheet with this alternative theory. This includes in particular the prototypical case of $\mathrm{AdS}_3 \times \mathrm{S}^3 \times \mathbb{T}^4$, as well as the recently discussed example of $\mathrm{AdS}_3 \times \mathrm{S}^3 \times \mathrm{S}^3 \times \mathrm{S}^1$. However, our analysis does not require supersymmetry and also applies to bosonic ${\rm AdS}_3$ backgrounds (at $k=3$).

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arXiv2025

The complex Liouville string: the gravitational path integral

We give a rigorous definition of sine dilaton gravity in terms of the worldsheet theory of the complex Liouville string arXiv:2409.17246. The latter has a known exact solution that we leverage to explore the gravitational path integral of sine dilaton gravity - a quantum deformation of dS JT gravity that admits both AdS$_2$ and dS$_2$ vacua. We uncover that the gravitational path integral receives contributions from new saddles describing transitions between vacua in a third-quantized picture. We also discuss the sphere and disk partition function in this context and contrast our findings with other recent work on this theory.

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arXiv2025

One-loop four-graviton string amplitude at finite $α'$

We evaluate the one-loop four-graviton scattering amplitude in type-II superstring theory exactly in $α'$. This result is achieved by combining physical insights into the $i\varepsilon$ prescription in string theory with a new technical application of the Rademacher expansion of modular integrals. We provide an implementation of our formula in $\texttt{C++}$ and use it to study the behavior of the amplitude at finite $α'$ and in different kinematic regimes. Our analysis reveals a tension between explicit computations and the saddle point analysis of Gross and Mende in the high-energy limit and suggests the presence of additional saddle points.

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arXiv2025

Rademacher expansion of modular integrals

We develop a method to evaluate integrals of non-holomorphic modular functions over the fundamental domain of the torus with modular parameter $τ$ analytically. It proceeds in two steps: first the integral is transformed to a Lorentzian contour by the same strategy that leads to the Lorentzian inversion formula in CFT, and then we apply a two-dimensional version of the Rademacher expansion. This computes the integral in terms of an expansion sensitive to the singular behaviour of the integrand near all the Lorentzian cusps $τ\to i \infty$, $\barτ \to x \in \mathbb{Q}$. We apply this technique to a variety of examples such as the evaluation of string one-loop partition functions, where it leads to the first analytic formula for the cosmological constants of the bosonic string and the $\mathrm{SO}(16) \times \mathrm{SO}(16)$ string.

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arXiv2025

The complex Liouville string

We introduce the complex Liouville string, a solvable string theory defined by coupling two Liouville theories with complex conjugate central charges $c \in 13+i \mathbb{R}$ on the worldsheet. We compute its amplitudes from first principles and establish a duality with a double-scaled two-matrix integral. We also analyze general worldsheet boundaries and non-perturbative effects in the genus expansion. By expressing the complex Liouville string as a 2d dilaton gravity theory with a sine potential, we show that it admits both AdS$_2$ and dS$_2$ vacua.

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arXiv2025

The complex Liouville string: the matrix integral

We propose a duality between the complex Liouville string and a two-matrix integral. The complex Liouville string is defined by coupling two Liouville theories with complex central charges $c = 13 \pm i λ$ on the worldsheet. The matrix integral is characterized by its spectral curve which allows us to compute the perturbative string amplitudes recursively via topological recursion. This duality constitutes a controllable instance of holographic duality. The leverage on the theory is provided by the rich analytic structure of the string amplitudes that we discussed in arXiv:2409.18759 and allows us to perform numerous tests on the duality.

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arXiv2025

The complex Liouville string: the worldsheet

We introduce a new two-dimensional string theory defined by coupling two copies of Liouville CFT with complex central charge $c=13\pm i λ$ on the worldsheet. This string theory defines a novel, consistent and controllable model of two-dimensional quantum gravity. We use the exact solution of the worldsheet theory to derive stringent constraints on the analytic structure of the string amplitudes as a function of the vertex operator momenta. Together with other worldsheet constraints, this allows us to completely pin down the string amplitudes without explicitly computing the moduli space integrals. We focus on the case of the sphere four-point amplitude and torus one-point amplitude as worked examples. This is the first in a series of papers on the complex Liouville string: three subsequent papers will elucidate the holographic duality with a two-matrix integral, discuss worldsheet boundaries and non-perturbative effects, and connect the theory to de Sitter quantum gravity.

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arXiv2025

The complex Liouville string: worldsheet boundaries and non-perturbative effects

We investigate general observables of the complex Liouville string with worldsheet boundaries. We develop a universal formalism that reduces such observables to ordinary closed string amplitudes without boundaries, applicable to any worldsheet string theory, but particularly simple in the context of 2d or minimal string theories. We apply this formalism to the duality of the complex Liouville string with the matrix integral proposed in arXiv:2409.18759 and arXiv:2410.07345 and showcase the formalism by finding appropriate boundary conditions for various matrix model quantities of interest, such as the resolvent or the partition function. We also apply this formalism towards the computation of non-perturbative effects on the worldsheet mediated by ZZ-instantons. These are known to be plagued by extra subtleties which need input from string field theory to resolve. These computations probe and uncover the duality between the complex Liouville string and the matrix model at the non-perturbative level.

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arXiv2025

A microscopic realization of dS$_3$

We propose a precise duality between pure de Sitter quantum gravity in 2+1 dimensions and a double-scaled matrix integral. This duality unfolds in two distinct aspects. First, by carefully quantizing the gravitational phase space, we arrive at a novel proposal for the quantum state of the universe at future infinity. We compute cosmological correlators of massive particles in the universe specified by this wavefunction. Integrating these correlators over the metric at future infinity yields gauge-invariant observables, which are identified with the string amplitudes of the complex Liouville string arXiv:2409.17246. This establishes a direct connection between integrated cosmological correlators and the resolvents of the matrix integral dual to the complex Liouville string, thereby demonstrating one aspect of the dS$_3$/matrix integral duality. The second aspect concerns the cosmological horizon of the dS static patch and the Gibbons-Hawking entropy it is conjectured to encode. We show that this entropy can be reproduced exactly by counting the entries of the matrix.

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arXiv2024

3d gravity from Virasoro TQFT: Holography, wormholes and knots

We further develop the description of three-dimensional quantum gravity with negative cosmological constant in terms of Virasoro TQFT formulated in our previous paper arXiv:2304.13650. We compare the partition functions computed in the Virasoro TQFT formalism to the semiclassical evaluation of Euclidean gravity partition functions. This matching is highly non-trivial, but can be checked directly in some examples. We then showcase the formalism in action, by computing the gravity partition functions of many relevant topologies. For holographic applications, we focus on the partition functions of Euclidean multi-boundary wormholes with three-punctured spheres as boundaries. This precisely quantifies the higher moments of the structure constants in the proposed ensemble boundary dual and subjects the proposal to thorough checks. Finally, we investigate in detail the example of the figure eight knot complement as a hyperbolic 3-manifold. We show that the Virasoro TQFT partition function is identical to the partition function computed in Teichmüller theory, thus giving strong evidence for the equivalence of these TQFTs. We also show how to produce a large class of manifolds via Dehn surgery on the figure eight knot.

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