Interacting physical states of the bosonic string. I

A preliminary discussion on the importance of the contact terms in relation with the existence of many string vacua is presented. The problem of the BRST invariance of the string states transition amplitudes is considered in the sigma model approach to the string. It is shown that the BRST invariance is controlled by a gravitational (Diff) anomaly, and its connections with the standard Virasoro constraints are illustrated. The tachyon amplitudes are analysed and the BRST invariant dilaton vertex operator for non flat world-sheet is constructed.