Recent developments involving JT gravity in two dimensions indicate that under some conditions, a gravitational path integral is dual to an average over an ensemble of boundary theories, rather than to a specific boundary theory. For an example in one dimension more, one would like to compare a random ensemble of two-dimensional CFT's to Einstein gravity in three dimensions. But this is difficult. For a simpler problem, here we average over Narain's family of two-dimensional CFT's obtained by toroidal compactification. These theories are believed to be the most general ones with their central charges and abelian current algebra symmetries, so averaging over them means picking a random CFT with those properties. The average can be computed using the Siegel-Weil formula of number theory and has some properties suggestive of a bulk dual theory that would be an exotic theory of gravity in three dimensions. The bulk dual theory would be more like $U(1)^{2D}$ Chern-Simons theory than like Einstein gravity.
To obtain a unified framework for symmetric and asymmetric heterotic orbifold constructions we provide a systematic study of Narain compactifications orbifolded by finite order T-duality subgroups. We review the generalized vielbein that parametrizes the Narain moduli space (i.e. the metric, the B-field and the Wilson lines) and introduce a convenient basis of generators of the heterotic T-duality group. Using this we generalize the space group description of orbifolds to Narain orbifolds. This yields a unified, crystallographic description of the orbifold twists, shifts as well as Narain modu…
We consider the weighted average of a two dimensional CFT, whose target space is $T^2$, over its Narain moduli space. We take as the weighing function the integral kernel which gives rise to $T \bar T$ deformation when applied to the world sheet moduli data of the partition function viewed as vacuum amplitude when the world sheet is a torus. We compute the smeared partition function where this kernel is applied to the target space moduli. Smearing the partition function over the parameter space of a field theory generally leads to the breakdown in the ability to write the partition function as…
We revisit the proposal that the ensemble average over free boson CFTs in two dimensions - parameterized by Narain's moduli space - is dual to an exotic theory of gravity in three dimensions dubbed $U(1)$ gravity. We consider flavored partition functions, where the usual genus $g$ partition function is weighted by Wilson lines coupled to the conserved $U(1)$ currents of these theories. These flavored partition functions obey a heat equation which relates deformations of the Riemann surface moduli to those of the chemical potentials which measure these $U(1)$ charges. This allows us to derive a…
We apply the theory of harmonic analysis on the fundamental domain of $SL(2,\mathbb{Z})$ to partition functions of two-dimensional conformal field theories. We decompose the partition function of $c$ free bosons on a Narain lattice into eigenfunctions of the Laplacian of worldsheet moduli space $\mathbb H/SL(2,\mathbb Z)$, and of target space moduli space $O(c,c;\mathbb Z)\backslash O(c,c;\mathbb R)/O(c)\times O(c)$. This decomposition manifests certain properties of Narain theories and ensemble averages thereof. We extend the application of spectral theory to partition functions of general tw…
We study the torus partition functions of free bosonic CFTs in two dimensions. Integrating over Narain moduli defines an ensemble-averaged free CFT. We calculate the averaged partition function and show that it can be reinterpreted as a sum over topologies in three dimensions. This result leads us to conjecture that an averaged free CFT in two dimensions is holographically dual to an exotic theory of three-dimensional gravity with $U(1)^c \times U(1)^c$ symmetry and a composite boundary graviton. Additionally, for small central charge $c$, we obtain general constraints on the spectral gap of f…
WZW models live on a moduli space parameterized by current-current deformations. The moduli space defines an ensemble of conformal field theories, which generically have $N$ abelian conserved currents and central charge $c > N$. We calculate the average partition function and show that it can be interpreted as a sum over 3-manifolds. This suggests that the ensemble-averaged theory has a holographic dual, generalizing recent results on Narain CFTs. The bulk theory, at the perturbative level, is identified as $U(1)^{2N}$ Chern-Simons theory coupled to additional matter fields. From a mathematica…
We use a moduli space exploration algorithm to produce a complete list of maximally enhanced gauge groups that are realized in the heterotic string in 7d, encompassing the usual Narain component, and five other components with rank reduction realized via nontrivial holonomy triples. Using lattice embedding techniques we find an explicit match with the mechanism of singularity freezing in M-theory on K3. The complete global data for each gauge group is explicitly given.
It has been recently argued that the averaging of free CFT's over the Narain lattice can be holographically described through a Chern-Simons theory for $U\left(1\right)^{D}\times U\left(1\right)^{D}$ with a precise prescription to sum over three-dimensional handlebodies. We show that a gravitational dual of these averaged CFT's would be provided by Einstein gravity on AdS$_{3}$ with $U\left(1\right)^{D-1}\times U\left(1\right)^{D-1}$ gauge fields, endowed with a precise set of boundary conditions closely related to the "soft hairy" ones. Gravitational excitations then go along diagonal $SL\lef…
We propose an organizing principle for string theory moduli spaces in six dimensions with $\mathcal{N} = (1,1)$, based on a rank reduction map, into which all known constructions fit. In the case of cyclic orbifolds, which are the main focus of the paper, we make an explicit connection with meromorphic 2D (s)CFTs with $c = 24$ ($c = 12$) and show how these encode every possible gauge symmetry enhancement in their associated 6D theories. These results generalize naturally to non-cyclic orbifolds, into which the only known string construction (to our awareness) also fits. This framework suggests…
Compactifications of the heterotic string on T^d are the simplest, yet rich enough playgrounds to uncover swampland ideas: the U(1)^{d+16} left-moving gauge symmetry gets enhanced at special points in moduli space only to certain groups. We state criteria, based on lattice embedding techniques, to establish whether a gauge group is realized or not. For generic d, we further show how to obtain the moduli that lead to a given gauge group by modifying the method of deleting nodes in the extended Dynkin diagram of the Narain lattice II_{1,17}. More general algorithms to explore the moduli space ar…
The Swampland Program aims to address the question, "when does an effective field theory model of quantum gravity have an ultraviolet complete embedding in string theory?", and can be regarded as a bottom-up approach to investigations of quantum gravity. An alternative top-down approach aim to explore the imprints and the constraints imposed by the string theory dualities and symmetries on the effective field theory representations of quantum gravity. The most celebrated example of this approach is mirror symmetry. Mirror symmetry was first observed in worldsheet contructions of string compact…
