Related papers: Triality in Little String Theories
We apply some methods of homology and K-theory to special classes of branes wrapping homologically nontrivial cycles. We treat the classification of four-geometries in terms of compact stabilizers (by analogy with Thurston's classification…
We construct intersecting D-brane configurations that encode the gauge groups and field content of dual N=4 supersymmetric gauge theories in three dimensions. The duality which exchanges the Coulomb and Higgs branches and the…
We explore the symmetry structure of Type II Little String Theories and their T-dualities. We construct these theories both from the bottom-up perspective starting with seed Superconformal Field Theories, and from the top-down using…
By studying 2d string compactifications with half-maximal supersymmetry in a variety of duality frames, we find a natural physical setting for understanding Umbral moonshine. Near points in moduli space with enhanced gauge symmetry, we find…
We study the topological string partition function of a class of toric, double elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau threefolds $X_{N,M}$ at a generic point in the K\"ahler moduli space. These manifolds engineer little string theories in five…
We study M theory fivebranes to understand the moduli space of vacua of N=1 supersymmetric SO(N_c) gauge theory with N_f flavors in four dimensions. We discuss how the various branches of this theory arise in the string/M theory brane…
These notes present an introduction to branes in ten and eleven dimensional supergravity and string/M-theory which is geared to an audience of traditional relativists, especially graduate students and others with little background in…
We analyze how string theory dualities may be described in M theory. T dualities arise from scalar-vector dualities in the worldvolume of the membrane of M theory. ``Electric-magnetic'' dualities arise from a duality transformation in M…
Deformations of the original F-theory background are proposed. These lead to multiple new dualities and physical phenomena. We concentrate on one model where we let seven-branes wrap a multi-centered Taub-NUT space instead of R4. This…
The dynamics of superstring, supergravity and M theories and their compactifications are probed by studying the various perturbation theories that emerge in the strong and weak coupling limits for various directions in coupling constant…
Certain limits of the duality between M-theory on ${T^5/Z_2}$ and IIB on K3 are analyzed in Matrix theory. The correspondence between M-theory five-branes and ALE backgrounds is realized as three dimensional mirror symmetry. Non-critical…
We present evidence for a new deconstruction of Little String Theory (LST). The starting point is a four-dimensional conformal field theory on its Higgs branch which provides a lattice regularization of six-dimensional gauge theory. We…
Quiver 5D $\mathcal{N}=1$ gauge theories describe the low-energy dynamics on webs of $(p,q)$-branes in type IIB string theory. S-duality exchanges NS5 and D5 branes, mapping $(p,q)$-branes to branes of charge $(-q,p)$, and, in this way,…
We show that the system of $k$ NS5-branes wrapping $\mathbb{T}^4\times S^1$ has non-trivial vacuum structure. Different vacua have different spectra of 1/4 BPS states that carry momentum and winding around the $S^1$. In one vacuum, such…
We consider non-critical heterotic strings compactified on $S^1$. For full rank theories, they are related to odd self-dual lattices and are structurally of the same form as the critical non-supersymmetric theories. For dimensions up to 14…
We discuss Gubser-Klebanov-Polyakov proposal for the gauge/string theory correspondence for gauge theories in curved space. Specifically, we consider Klebanov-Tseytlin cascading gauge theory compactified on S^3. We explain regime when this…
We study the system of M2-branes suspended between parallel M5-branes using ABJM model with a natural half-BPS boundary condition. For small separation between M5-branes, the worldvolume theory is shown to reduce to a 2D N=(4,4) super…
We consider M-theory in the presence of M parallel M5-branes probing a transverse A_{N-1} singularity. This leads to a superconformal theory with (1,0) supersymmetry in six dimensions. We compute the supersymmetric partition function of…
We study M(atrix) theory description of M theory compactified on T5/Z2 orbifold. In the large volume limit we show that M theory dynamics is described by N=8 supersymmetric USp(2N) M(atrix) quantum mechanics. Via zero-brane parton…
Maldacena's duality between conformal field theories and supergravity is applied to some conformal invariant models with 8 supercharges appearing in the F-theory moduli space on a locus of constant coupling. This includes Sp(2N) gauge…