Related papers: Counting String Theory Standard Models
This review talk focusses on some of the interesting developments in the area of superstring compactification that have occurred in the last couple of years. These include the discovery that ``mirror symmetric" pairs of Calabi--Yau spaces,…
We introduce a new heterotic Standard Model which has precisely the spectrum of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), with no exotic matter. The observable sector has gauge group SU(3) x SU(2) x U(1). Our model is obtained from…
In a certain strong coupling limit, compactification of the $E_8\times E_8$ heterotic string on a Calabi-Yau manifold $X$ can be described by an eleven-dimensional theory compactified on $X\times \S^1/\Z_2$. In this limit, the usual…
The overarching goal of this thesis was to develop categorical methods that connect enumerative geometry, as studied in mirror symmetry, with large $N$ gauge theories. In the first part, we established a relation between graph complexes,…
After a brief introduction into the use of Calabi--Yau varieties in string dualities, and the role of toric geometry in that context, we review the classification of toric Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces and present some results on complete…
We consider double-scaling limits of multicut solutions of certain one matrix models that are related to Calabi-Yau singularities of type A and the respective topological B model via the Dijkgraaf-Vafa correspondence. These double-scaling…
Non-perturbative instanton corrections to the moduli space geometry of type IIA string theory compactified on a Calabi-Yau space are derived and found to contain order $e^{-1/g_s}$ contributions, where $g_s$ is the string coupling. The…
The four-dimensional N=2 STU model of string compactification is invariant under an SL(2,Z)_S x SL(2,Z)_T x SL(2,Z)_U duality acting on the dilaton/axion S, complex Kahler form T and the complex structure fields U, and also under a…
We study the relation between c=1 matrix models at self-dual radii and topological strings on non-compact Calabi-Yau manifolds. In particular the special case of the deformed matrix model is investigated in detail. Using recent results on…
This article is devoted to an overview of superstring perturbation theory from the point of view of super Riemann surfaces. We aim to elucidate some of the subtleties of superstring perturbation that caused difficulty in the early…
The moduli dependence of $(2,2)$ superstring compactifications based on Calabi--Yau hypersurfaces in weighted projective space has so far only been investigated for Fermat-type polynomial constraints. These correspond to Landau-Ginzburg…
In this thesis, we consider heterotic string vacua based on a warped product of a four-dimensional domain wall and a six-dimensional internal manifold preserving only two supercharges. Thus, they correspond to half-BPS states of heterotic…
We present solutions for the higher genus topological string amplitudes on Calabi-Yau-manifolds, which are realized as complete intersections in Grassmannians. We solve the B-model by direct integration of the holomorphic anomaly equations…
The study of curved D-brane geometries in type II strings implies a general relation between local singularities $\cx W$ of Calabi-Yau manifolds and gravity free supersymmetric QFT's. The minimal supersymmetric case is described by F-theory…
We consider superstring compactifications where both the classical description, in terms of a Calabi-Yau manifold, and also the quantum theory is known in terms of a Landau-Ginzburg orbifold model. In particular, we study (smooth)…
After a short introduction to Matrix theory, we explain how can one generalize matrix models to describe toroidal compactifications of M-theory and the heterotic vacua with 16 supercharges. This allows us, for the first time in history, to…
The non-perturbative superpotential can be effectively calculated in $M$-theory compactification to three dimensions on a Calabi-Yau four-fold $X$. For certain $X$, the superpotential is identically zero, while for other $X$, a…
In this paper we present a construction of stable bundles on Calabi-Yau threefolds using the method of bundle extensions. This construction applies to any given Calabi-Yau threefold with h^{1,1}>1. We give examples of stable bundles of rank…
It is known that string theory compactifications leading to low energy effective theories with different chiral matter content ({\it e.g.} different numbers of standard model generations) are connected through phase transitions, described…
In M-theory on $S^1/Z_2$, we point out that to be consistant, we should keep the scale, gauge couplings and soft terms at next order, and obtain the soft term relations: $M_{1/2} = -A$, $|{{M_{0}}/{M_{1/2}}}| \leq {1/{\sqrt 3}}$ in the…