We use insights from string field theory to analyze and cure the divergences in the cylinder diagram in minimal string theory with both boundaries lying on a ZZ brane. We focus on theories with worldsheet matter consisting of the (2, p) minimal model plus Liouville theory, with total central charge 26, together with the usual bc-ghosts. The string field theory procedure gives a finite, purely imaginary normalization constant for non-perturbative effects in minimal string theory, or doubly non-perturbative effects in JT gravity. We find precise agreement with the prediction from the dual double-scaled one-matrix integral. We also make a few remarks about the extension of this result to the more general (p′, p) minimal string.

We compute the normalization of the general multi-instanton contribution to the partition function of (p′, p) minimal string theory and also to the dual two-matrix integral. We find perfect agreement between the two results.

We use insights from string field theory to analyze and cure the divergences in the cylinder diagram in minimal string theory with both boundaries lying on a ZZ brane. We focus on theories with worldsheet matter consisting of the (2, p) minimal model plus Liouville theory, with total central charge 26, together with the usual bc-ghosts. The string field theory procedure gives a finite, purely imaginary normalization constant for non-perturbative effects in minimal string theory, or doubly non-perturbative effects in JT gravity. We find precise agreement with the prediction from the dual double-scaled one-matrix integral. We also make a few remarks about the extension of this result to the more general (p , p) minimal string.

We compute the ZZ annulus one-point function of the cosmological constant operator in non-critical string theory, regulating divergences from the boundaries of moduli space using string field theory. We identify a subtle issue in a previous analysis of these divergences, which was done in the context of the c = 1 string theory, and where it had led to a mismatch with the prediction from the dual matrix quantum mechanics. After fixing this issue, we find a precise match to the expected answer in both the c < 1 and c = 1 cases. We also compute the disk two-point function, which is a quantity of the same order, and show that it too matches with the general prediction.

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