The following problem is discussed: Given n points in the plane (the sites) and an arbitrary query point 4, find the site that is closest to q. This problem can be solved by constructing the Voronoi diagram of the given sites and then locating the query point in one of its regions. Two algorithms are given, one that constructs the Voronoi diagram in O(n log n) time, and another that inserts a new site in O(n) time. Both are based on the use of the Voronoi dual, or Delaunay triangulation, and are simple enough to be of practical value. The simplicity of both algorithms can be attributed to the separation of the geometrical and topological aspects of the problem and to the use of two simple but powerful primitives, a geometric predicate and an operator for manipulating the topology of the diagram. The topology is represented by a new data structure for generalized diagrams, that is, embeddings of graphs in two-dimensional manifolds. This structure represents simultaneously an embedding, its dual, and its mirror image. Furthermore, just two operators are sufficient for building and modifying arbitrary diagrams.

Let c k = cr k (G) denote the minimum number of edge crossings when a graph G is drawn on an orientable surface of genus k. The (orientable) crossing sequence c 0 ; c 1 ; c 2 ; : : : encodes the trade-off between adding handles and decreasing crossings. We focus on sequences of the type c 0 ? c

and projective planes with any number of handles in some Calabi-Yau orientifolds.

Improving Trade Visibility and Fidelity in

We consider orientifolds of Calabi-Yau 3-folds in the context of Type IIA and Type IIB superstrings. We show how mirror symmetry can be used to sum up worldsheet instanton contributions to the superpotential for Type IIA superstrings. The relevant worldsheets have the topology of the disc and

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In these lecture notes duality tests and instanton eects in supersymmetric vacua of string theory are discussed. A broad overview of BPS-saturated terms in the eective actions is rst given. Their role in testing the consistency of duality conjectures as well as discovering the rules of instanton calculus in string theory is discussed. The example of heterotic/type-I duality is treated in detail. Thresholds of F terms are used to test the duality as well as to derive rules for calculated with D1-brane instantons. We further consider the case of R couplings in N=4 ground-states. Heterotic/type II duality is invoked to predict the heterotic NS5-brane instanton corrections to the R threshold. The R couplings of type-II string theory with maximal supersymmetry are analysed and the D-instanton contributions are described Other applications and open problems are sketched.

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We study the topological string on local P2 with O-plane and D-brane at its real locus, using three complementary techniques. In the A-model, we refine localization on the moduli space of maps with respect to the torus action preserved by the antiholomorphic involution. This leads to a computation of open and unoriented Gromov-Witten invariants that can be applied to any toric Calabi-Yau with involution. We then show that the full topological string amplitudes can be reproduced within the topological vertex formalism. We obtain the real topological vertex with trivial fixed leg. Finally, we verify that the same results derive in the B-model from the extended holomorphic anomaly equation, together with appropriate boundary conditions. The expansion at the conifold exhibits a gap structure that belongs to a so far unidentified