Non-perturbative topological string theory on compact Calabi-Yau manifolds from M-theory

A bstract We show that the full non-perturbative topological string free energy, in the holomorphic limit, follows simply from a target space integrating out calculation of M2 states. Qualitatively, this is the same as the calculation performed by Gopakumar and Vafa, but we find that the final expression must be modified due to a subtlety with poles induced by non-perturbative physics. Accounting for this modification leads to a Gopakumar-Vafa-like formula, which we propose as the exact formulation of the integrating out procedure. Evaluating the formula necessarily requires a contour integral in a complexified Schwinger proper time parameter. We show that this evaluation yields the full non-perturbative topological string free energy, and can be applied to a compact, or non-compact, Calabi-Yau threefold. The explicit formula presented holds as long as the two-cycles wrapped by the branes are rigid and smooth, but the methodology can be used to study also more general Calabi-Yau geometries.