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Asymptotic (late-time) cosmology depends on the asymptotic (infinite-distance) limits of scalar field space in string theory. Such limits feature an exponentially decaying potential $V \sim \exp(- c \phi)$ with corresponding Hubble scale $H…
Topological phases of matter have been extensively investigated in solid state materials and classical wave systems with integer dimensions. However, topological states in non-integer dimensions remain largely unexplored. Fractals, being…
The class of effectively closed infinite-genus surfaces, defining the completion of the domain of string perturbation theory, can be included in the category $O_G$, which is characterized by the vanishing capacity of the ideal boundary. The…
The heterotic string compactified on an (n-1)-dimensional elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau Z-->B is conjectured to be dual to F-theory compactified on an n-dimensional Calabi-Yau X-->B, fibered over the same base with elliptic K3 fibers. In…
This work is the second of a series of papers devoted to revisiting the properties of Heterotic string compactifications on ALE spaces. In this project we study the geometric counterpart in F-theory of the T-dualities between Heterotic ALE…
We review here some aspects of our recent works about the geometric engineering of heterotic little string theories using F-theory. Building on the seminal work by Aspinwall and Morrison as well as Intrilligator and Blum, we solve some…
We reexamine the possibility of the detection of the cosmic topology in nearly flat hyperbolic Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) universes by using patterns repetition. We update and extend our recent results in two important ways:…
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility of a physical 12-dimensional F-theory. We study the question of geometric interaction terms in the F-theory Lagrangians. We also introduce a new supergravity multiplet in dimension…
The Emergence Proposal is the idea that all kinetic terms for fields in quantum gravity are emergent in the infrared from integrating out towers of states. It predicts that in a supersymmetric string theory context, the tree-level…
We show that integrating out M2 branes ending on M5 branes inside Calabi-Yau manifolds captures non-perturbative open topological string physics. The integrating out is performed using a contour integral in complexified Schwinger proper…
We study field theories in the limit that a compactified dimension becomes lightlike. In almost all cases the amplitudes at each order of perturbation theory diverge in the limit, due to strong interactions among the longitudinal zero…
F-theory on appropriately fibered Spin(7) holonomy manifolds is defined to arise as the dual of M-theory on the same space in the limit of a shrinking fiber. A class of Spin(7) orbifolds can be constructed as quotients of elliptically…
Is field space infinite? If not, it either loops back on itself or ends altogether. Periodic boundary conditions are of course familiar, but field space endpoints--which appear in real-world systems--are far less explored. In this paper we…
The theory of limits of discrete combinatorial objects has been thriving for the last decade or so. The syntactic, algebraic approach to the subject is popularly known as "flag algebras", while the semantic, geometric one is often…
The tower Weak Gravity Conjecture predicts infinitely many super-extremal states along every ray in the charge lattice of a consistent quantum gravity theory. We show this far-reaching claim in five-dimensional compactifications of M-theory…
Under the belief that the universe should be multi-feature and informative, we employ a model-by-model comparison method to explore the possibly largest upper bound on the swampland constant $c$. Considering the interacting quintessence…
Eight-dimensional non-geometric heterotic strings with gauge algebra $\mathfrak{e}_8\mathfrak{e}_7$ were constructed by Malmendier and Morrison as heterotic duals of F-theory on K3 surfaces with $\Lambda^{1,1}\oplus E_8\oplus E_7$ lattice…
We consider self-avoiding polygons in a restricted geometry, namely an infinite $L\times M$ tube in $\mathbb Z^3$. These polygons are subjected to a force $f$, parallel to the infinite axis of the tube. When $f>0$ the force stretches the…
A type IIA string (or F-theory) compactified on a Calabi-Yau threefold is believed to be dual to a heterotic string on a K3 surface times a 2-torus (or on a K3 surface). We consider how the resulting moduli space of hypermultiplets is…
We study effective potentials coming from compactifications of string theory. We show that, under mild assumptions, such potentials are bounded from below in four dimensions, giving an affirmative answer to a conjecture proposed by the…