Advanced String/M theory2, Graduate course, 5p, Lp III Spring 2008
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Course codes: CTH: -- and GU: --
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Lectures: Wedenesdays, at 9.00-11.30 in Origo 6115
(the physics building called Origo, 6th floor, north wing).
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Teacher: Professor Bengt E.W. Nilsson, phone 772 3160, Origo 6104C
Course assistant: Christoffer Petersson, phone 772 3183, Origo 6111
Literature:
"String theory in a nutshell", Elias Kiritsis,
(Princeton university press, 2007).
Note that the lectures will not follow this book chapter by chapter, and other material
not discussed in the book will also be covered.
Additional literature:
1. "A first course in string theory", Barton Zwiebach
(Cambridge university press, 2004).
2. "String theory and M-theory, a modern introduction", Katrin Becker, Melanie Becker and
John H. Schwarz (Cambridge university press, 2007).
3. "A course in arithmetic", J.-P. Serre (Graduate texts in mathematics, Springer 1973).
Additional reading:
Recent popular articles:
Article by M. Chalmers in Physics World (very good and up to date)
Stringscape
Non-technical string literature:
An excellent popular account of the fundamental questions and
ideas of modern string/M theory can be found in
"The elegent universe", by Brian Greene (Jonathan Cape 1999).
Additional string literature: (abbreviation in bracket)
1. M. Green, J. Schwarz and E. Witten (GSW), "Superstring theory",
volume I and II
(Cambridge University Press 1987).
2. J. Polchinski (JP), "String theory", volume I and II
(Cambridge University Press 1998).
3. D. Lüst and S. Theisen (LT), "Lectures on string theory",
(346 Lecture Notes in Physics, Springer Verlag 1989).
You can find the book here as Part 2, Part 3.
"Part one",
4. C. V. Johnson, "D-branes" (Cambridge monographs on mathematical physics 2003)
Recent books debating the pros and cons of string theory
L. Smolin, "The trouble with physics" (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006)
P. Woit, "Not even wrong" (Jonathan Cape, 2006)
see also comments on these by J. Polchinski:
Guest Blogger: Joe Polchinski on String Debates
General high-energy physics:
A very nice overview of elementary particle physics, gravitation and cosmology, Kaluza-Klein,
supersymmetry and introductory string theory can be found in
"Particle physics and cosmology", by P.D.B. Collins, A.D. Martin and E.J. Squires (Wiley 1989).
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Examination:
Home problems mostly from the book by Kiritsis.
Limits for different marks: You can get 3 points per problem
GU:
V requires 40% of the total points
VG requires 70% of the total points plus a successful oral exam
CTH:
3 requires 40% of the total points
4 requires 60% of the total points
5 requires 80% of the total points plus a successful oral exam
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Lecture 17 (cont from first course): Wednesday, January 16: 3-dim gravity and the Monster
Recommended exercises:
Home exam problem 1:
Lecture 18: Wednesday, January 23: cont. 3-dim gravity and the Monster
Recommended exercises:
Home exam problem 2:
Lecture 19: Wednesday, January 30: Compactified strings and affine Kac-Moody
Recommended exercises:
Home exam problem 3:
Lecture 20: Wednesday, February 6: Representations of affine Kac-Moody and Sugawara
More on the affine Kac-Moody algebras algebras, vertex operators, representations, modules and unitary
representations.
Minimal models and operato
r algebra.
Lecture 21: Wednesday, February 13: cont. from last lecture
Lecture 22: Wednesday, February 20: Partition functions and theta functions
Lecture 23: Wednesday, March 5: Characters
Lecture 24: Wednesday, March 12: Superconformal algebras
Lecture 25: Wednesday, ??: W algebras
This does not conclude the course: It will resume in September 2008
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Credits: 5 old university credit points are awarded when passed.
The requirements for passing are a follow-up discussion with the lecturer and a minimum of 40 per cent
solved home problems.
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Limits for different marks: You can get 3 points per problem
GU:
V requires 40% of the total points
VG requires 70% of the total points plus a successful oral exam
CTH:
3 requires 40% of the total points
4 requires 60% of the total points
5 requires 80% of the total points plus a successful oral exam
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