Random Surfaces and Quantum Gravity (NATO Science Series B: Physics)

Methods on the random triangulations of surfaces provide a description of non-critical string theory or equivalently of the coupling of matter fields to quantum gravity in two dimensions. Among the papers presented at the Cargese meeting are detailed reviews that make the volume useful for the non-specialist. Three main themes are treated extensively: 2 D gravity and non perturbative effects, D equals 1 strings and string field theory, and Liouville theory and D is greater than 1. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.