Wilson Loops in 2D Noncommutative Euclidean Gauge Theory: 1. Perturbative Expansion

We calculate quantum averages of Wilson loops (holonomies) in gauge theories on the Euclidean noncommutative plane, using a path-integral representation of the star-product. We show how the perturbative expansion emerges from a concise general formula and demonstrate its anomalous behavior at large parameter of noncommutativity for the simplest nonplanar diagram of genus 1. We discuss various UV/IR regularizations of the two-dimensional noncommutative gauge theory in the axial gauge and, using the noncommutative loop equation, construct a consistent regularization.