The Polyakov path integral over bordered surfaces (the open string amplitudes)

Abstract

We use the Feynman functional quantization scheme adapted to the gauge theories with reparametrization invariance to the functional covariant first quantization of the open bosonic BDHP string in a position representation. The consistent functional integral representation of the open string propagator is derived and evaluated. This result is used as a starting point for two kinds of constructions of the off-shell multiloop open string amplitudes. The general idea of the presented approach is to consider the off-shell amplitudes as functionals on the space ℰ of contours endowed with an intrinsic metric or on the space ℰ/ℝ+.