NEW JACOBI-LIKE IDENTITIES FOR ZK PARAFERMION CHARACTERS

We state and prove various new identities involving the Z(K) parafermi on characters (or level-K string functions) c(n)l for the cases K = 4, K = 8, and K = 16. These identities fall into three classes: identiti es in the first class are generalizations of the famous Jacobi theta-f unction identity (which is the K = 2 special case), identities in anot her class relate the level K > 2 characters to the Dedekind eta-functi on, and identities in a third class relate the K > 2 characters to the Jacobi theta-functions. These identities play a crucial role in the i nterpretation of fractional superstring spectra by indicating spacetim e supersymmetry and aiding in the identification of the spacetime spin and statistics of fractional superstring states.