Topological Membrane Solitons and Loop Orders of Membrane Scatterings in M-theory

Abstract

Two topological issues on membranes in M-theory are studied: (1) Soliton is an important subject in M-theory. Under the framework of obstruction theory with the help from framed links in $S^3$, we give a complete enumeration of topological membrane solitons in a string-admissible target-space of the form a product of Minkowskian space-times, tori, and K3-surfaces. Patching of these solitons and their topological charges are also defined and discussed. (2) Loop order of membrane scatterings is the basis for a perturbative M-theory. We explore this concept with emphases on its distinct features from pointlike and stringlike particles. For completeness, a light exposition on homologies of compact oriented 3-manifolds is given in the Appendix.