  Let (M,g) be an oriented Lorentzian 4-manifold, and consider the space S of
oriented, unparameterized time-like 2-surfaces in M (string world-sheets) with
fixed boundary conditions. Then the infinite-dimensional manifold S carries a
natural complex structure and a compatible (positive-definite) Kaehler metric h
on S determined by the Lorentz metric g. Similar results are proved for other
dimensions and signatures, thus generalizing results of Brylinski regarding
knots in 3-manifolds. Generalizing the framework of Lempert, we also
investigate the precise sense in which S is an infinite-dimensional complex
manifold.
