Related papers: $\mathcal N=3$ four dimensional field theories

We show that planar cal N=4 Yang-Mills theory at zero 't Hooft coupling can be efficiently described in terms of 8 bosonic and 8 fermionic oscillators. We show that these oscillators can serve as world-sheet variables, the string bits, of a…

We show that various holomorphic quantities in supersymmetric gauge theories can be conveniently computed by configurations of D4-branes and D6-branes. These D-branes intersect along a Riemann surface that is described by a holomorphic…

We study 3D $N=2$ supersymmetric field theories geometrically engineered from M-theory on non-compact Calabi-Yau fourfolds (CY4). We establish a detailed dictionary between the geometry and topology of non-compact CY4 and the physics of 3D…

We construct brane configurations leading to chiral four dimensional N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories. The brane realizations consist of intersecting Neveu-Schwarz five-branes and Dirichlet four-branes in non-flat spacetime backgrounds. We…

We investigate the holographic correspondence between (p+1)-dimensional ($0\le p\le 4$) SYM theories with 16 supercharges and superstring theories on the near-horizon limit of Dp-brane backgrounds. Following an approach based on the…

Global geometry of $K3$-fibration Calabi-Yau threefolds, with Hodge number $h_{2,1}=r+1$, is used to define $N=4$ softly broken $SU(r+1)$ gauge theories, with the bare coupling constant given by the dual heterotic dilaton, and the mass of…

In a recent paper, Polchinski and Strassler found a string theory dual of a gauge theory with reduced supersymmetry. Motivated by their approach, we perturb the $\N=8$ theory living on a set of N M2 branes to $\N=2$, by adding fermion mass…

Starting from the $\mathcal{N}=2$ SYM$_{4}$ quiver theory living on wrapped $% N_{i}D5$ branes around $S_{i}^{2}$ spheres of deformed ADE fibered Calabi-Yau threefolds (CY3) and considering deformations using \textit{% massive} vector…

The moduli space of N=(4,4) string theories with a K3 target space is determined, establishing in particular that the discrete symmetry group is the full integral orthogonal group of an even unimodular lattice of signature (4,20). The…

This is a set of lectures on the gauge/string duality and non-critical strings, with a particular emphasis on the discretized, or matrix model, approach. After a general discussion of various points of view, I describe the recent…

We study the phase structure of four-dimensional N=1 super Yang-Mills theories realized on D6-branes wrapping the RP^3 of a Z_2 orbifold of the deformed conifold. The non-trivial fundamental group of RP^3 allows for the gauge group to be…

Using geometric engineering in the context of type II strings, we obtain exact solutions for the moduli space of the Coulomb branch of all N=2 gauge theories in four dimensions involving products of SU gauge groups with arbitrary number of…

We review recent developments in the construction of heterotic and type II string field theories and their various applications. These include systematic procedures for determining the shifts in the vacuum expectation values of fields under…

According to the AdS/CFT correspondence, the ${\cal N}=4$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills (SYM) theory is studied through its gravity dual whose configuration has two boundaries at the opposite sides of the fifth coordinate. At these boundaries,…

In this thesis we elaborate on the three subjects of the title. We first show that supertubes exist and still preserve some supersymmetry in a large variety of curved backgrounds. Within the AdS/CFT correspondence we study the supersymmetry…

We characterize the worldvolume theories on symmetric D-branes in a six-dimensional Cahen-Wallach pp-wave supported by a constant Neveu-Schwarz three-form flux. We find a class of flat noncommutative euclidean D3-branes analogous to branes…

We prove that semisimple 4-dimensional oriented topological field theories lead to stable diffeomorphism invariants and can therefore not distinguish homeomorphic closed oriented smooth 4-manifolds and homotopy equivalent simply connected…

We improve the study of the lack of perturbative unitarity of noncommutative space-time quantum field theories derived from open string theory in electric backgrounds, enforcing the universality of the mechanism by which a tachyonic branch…

Heterotic $M$-theory consists of a five-dimensional manifold of the form $S^1/\mathbf{Z}_2 \times M_{4}$. It has been shown that one of the two orbifold planes, the "observable" sector, can have a low energy particle spectrum which is…

In a four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal quiver theory with gauge group $\mathrm{SU}(N)\times\mathrm{SU}(N)$ and bi-fundamental matter, we analytically obtain the exact strong-coupling behavior of the normalized 3-point…