Related papers: Looking for structure in the cobordism conjecture
In terms of category theory, the Gromov homotopy principle for a set valued functor $F$ asserts that the functor $F$ can be induced from a homotopy functor. Similarly, we say that the bordism principle for an abelian group valued functor…
The three tachyon-free non-supersymmetric string theories in ten dimensions provide a handle on quantum gravity away from the supersymmetric lamppost. However, they have not been shown to be fully consistent; although local anomalies cancel…
We study rank $1$ flat bundles over solvmanifolds whose cohomologies are non-trivial. By using Hodge theoretical properties for all topologically trivial rank $1$ flat bundles, we represent the structure theorem of K\"ahler solvmanifolds as…
The Weak Gravity Conjecture postulates the existence of superextremal charged particles, i.e. those with mass smaller than or equal to their charge in Planck units. We present further evidence for our recent observation that in known…
Let $M$ be a closed manifold that admits a self-cover $p:M \to M$ of degree >1. We say p is strongly regular if all its iterates are regular covers. In this case, we establish an algebraic structure theorem for the fundamental group of $M$:…
Motivated by the Weak Gravity Conjecture, we uncover an intricate interplay between black holes, BPS particle counting, and Calabi-Yau geometry in five dimensions. In particular, we point out that extremal BPS black holes exist only in…
We point out that the swampland conjectures, forbidding the presence of global symmetries and (meta-)stable de Sitter vacua within quantum gravity, pick up a dynamical axion for the electroweak SU(2) gauge theory as a natural candidate for…
We derive the BRST cohomology of the G/G topological model for the case of A^{(1)}_{N-1} . It is shown that at level k={p/q}-N the latter describes the (p,q) W_N minimal model coupled to $W_N$ gravity (plus some extra ``topological…
We review a recent proposal for the construction of a quantum theory of the gravitational field. The proposal is based on approximating the continuum theory by a discrete theory that has several attractive properties, among them, the fact…
We develop a theory of parametrized geometric cobordism by introducing smooth Thom stacks. This requires identifying and constructing a smooth representative of the Thom functor acting on vector bundles equipped with extra geometric data,…
The Bloch-Beilinson-Murre conjectures predict the existence of a descending filtration on Chow groups of smooth projective varieties which is functorial with respect to the action of correspondences and whose graded parts depend solely on…
We prove that Witten's Conjecture [arXiv:hep-th/9411102] on the relationship between the Donaldson and Seiberg-Witten series for a four-manifold of Seiberg-Witten simple type with $b_1=0$ and odd $b_2^+\geq 3$ follows from our…
We perform a systematic study of the applicability of swampland constraints to theories of localized gravity. We find that these gravity theories can violate swampland constraints, but can be reconciled with them when coupled to a…
The leitmotiv of this review is noncommutative principal U(1)-bundles and associated line bundles. In the first part I give a brief introduction to Hopf-Galois theory and its applications, from field extensions to principal group actions. I…
We generalise the variant of the Babylonian tower theorem for vector bundles on projective spaces proved by I. Coanda and G. Trautmann (2006) to the case of principal $G$-bundles over projective spaces, where $G$ is a linear algebraic group…
It is widely believed and in part established that exact global symmetries are inconsistent with quantum gravity. One then expects that approximate global symmetries can be quantitatively constrained by quantum gravity or swampland…
The Weak Gravity Conjecture holds that in a theory of quantum gravity, any gauge force must mediate interactions stronger than gravity for some particles. This statement has surprisingly deep and extensive connections to many different…
In \cite{baker-ozel}, by using Fredholm index we developed a version of Quillen's geometric cobordism theory for infinite dimensional Hilbert manifolds. This cobordism theory has a graded group structure under topological union operation…
Asymptotically massless towers of species are ubiquitous in the string landscape when infinite-distance limits are approached. Due to the remarkable properties of string dualities, they always comprise Kaluza-Klein states or higher-spin…
In the present paper we describe topological obstructions to embedding of a (complex) matrix algebra bundle into a trivial one under some additional arithmetic condition on their dimensions. We explain a relation between this problem and…