Supersymmetric higher-derivative actions in 10 and 11 dimensions, the associated superalgebras and their formulation in superspace

Higher-derivative terms in the string and M-theory effective actions are strongly constrained by supersymmetry. Using a mixture of techniques, involving both string-amplitude calculations and an analysis of supersymmetry requirements, we determine the supersymmetric completion of the R/sup 4/ action in 11 dimensions to second order in the fermions, in a form compact enough for explicit further calculations. Using these results, we obtain the modifications to the field transformation rules and determine the resulting field-dependent modifications to the coefficients in the supersymmetry algebra. We then make the link to the superspace formulation of the theory and discuss the mechanism by which higher- derivative interactions lead to modifications to the supertorsion constraints, For the particular interactions under discussion we find that no such modifications are induced. (81 refs).