We have evaluated by numerical simulation the average size R(K) of random polygons of fixed knot topology K=,3(1),3(1) musical sharp 4(1), and we have confirmed the scaling law R(2)(K) approximately N(2nu(K)) for the number N of polygonal nodes in a wide range; N=100-2200. The best fit gives 2nu(K) approximately 1.11-1.16 with good fitting curves in the whole range of N. The estimate of 2nu(K) is consistent with the exponent of self-avoiding polygons. In a limited range of N (N greater, similar 600), however, we have another fit with 2nu(K) approximately 1.01-1.07, which is close to the exponent of random polygons.

We analyse the causality condition in noncommutative field theory and show that the nonlocality of noncommutative interaction leads to a modification of the light cone to the light wedge. This effect is generic for noncommutative geometry. We also check that the usual form of energy condition is violated and propose that a new form is needed in noncommutative spacetime. On reduction from light cone to light wedge, it looks like the noncommutative dimensions are effectively washed out and suggests a reformulation of noncommutative field theory in terms of lower dimensional degree of freedom. This reduction of dimensions due to noncommutative geometry could play a key role in explaining the holographic property of quantum gravity.

We construct noncommutative extension of the Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) model and study its ultraviolet property. The β-function of the U (N ) noncommutative WZW model resembles that of the ordinary WZW model. The U (1) noncommutative model has also a nontrivial fixed point.

Recently, some of the authors have introduced a new interpretation of matrix models in which covariant derivatives on any curved space can be expressed by large-N matrices. It has been shown that the Einstein equation follows from the equation of motion of IIB matrix model in this interpretation. In this paper, we generalize this argument to covariant derivatives with torsion. We find that some components of the torsion field can be identified with the dilaton and the B-field in string theory. However, the other components do not seem to have string theory counterparts. We also consider the matrix model with a mass term or a cubic term, in which the equation of motion of string theory is exactly satisfied.

We investigate the low-energy dynamics of the BPS solitons of the noncommutative CP 1 model in 2+1 dimensions using the moduli space metric of the BPS solitons. We show that the dynamics of a single soliton coincides with that in the commutative model. We find that the singularity in the two-soliton moduli space, which exists in the commutative CP 1 model, disappears in the noncommutative model. We also show that the two-soliton metric has the smooth commutative