Related papers: A "Periodic Table" for Supersymmetric M-Theory Com…

We study holonomy groups coming from F-theory compactifications. We focus mainly on SO(8) as 12-4=8 and subgroups SU(4), Spin(7), G2 and SU(3) suitable for descent from F-theory, M-theory and Superstring theories. We consider the relation…

Higher-dimensional theories provide a promising framework for unified extensions of the supersymmetric standard model. Compactifications to four dimensions often lead to U(1) symmetries beyond the standard model gauge group, whose breaking…

We use the theory of singular foliations to study ${\cal N}=1$ compactifications of eleven-dimensional supergravity on eight-manifolds $M$ down to $\mathrm{AdS}_3$ spaces, allowing for the possibility that the internal part $\xi$ of the…

The requirement of ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetry for M-theory backgrounds of the form of a warped product ${\cal M}\times_{w}X$, where $X$ is an eight-manifold and ${\cal M}$ is three-dimensional Minkowski or AdS space, implies the existence…

Superstring compactification on a manifold of Spin(7) holonomy gives rise to a 2d worldsheet conformal field theory with an extended supersymmetry algebra. The $\mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal algebra is extended by additional generators of…

A new viewpoint for the gauge hierarchy problem is proposed: compactification at a large scale, 1/R, leads to a low energy effective theory with supersymmetry softly broken at a much lower scale, \alpha/R. The hierarchy is induced by an…

Configurations of two or more branes wrapping different homology cycles of space-time are considered and the amount of supersymmetry preserved is analysed, generalising the analysis of multiple branes in flat space. For K3…

This paper is a review of current developments in the study of moduli spaces of G2 manifolds. G2 manifolds are 7-dimensional manifolds with the exceptional holonomy group G2. Although they are odd-dimensional, in many ways they can be…

We study the presence of abelian discrete symmetries in globally consistent orientifold compactifications based on rational conformal field theory. We extend previous work [1] by allowing the discrete symmetries to be a linear combination…

We show that the classification of the symmetric spaces can be achieved by K-theoretical methods. We focus on Hermitian symmetric spaces of non-compact type, and define K-theory for JB*-triples along the lines of C*-theory. K-groups have to…

We discuss some consequences of the fact that symmetry groups appearing in compactified (super-)gravity may be non-simply connected. The possibility to add fermions to a theory results in a simple criterion to decide whether a 3-dimensional…

We continue the investigation of symmetries and anomalies of $T[M]$ theories obtained by compactifying 6d SCFTs on an internal manifold $M$. We extend the notion of "polarizations on a manifold $M$" to cases where $M$ may have boundaries or…

In the low-energy limit, M-theory compactified on S1/Z2 is formulated in terms of Bianchi identities with sources localized at orbifold singularities and anomaly-cancelling counterterms to the Wilson effective Lagrangian. Compactifying to…

We study orbifolds by permutations of two identical N=2 minimal models within the Gepner construction of four dimensional heterotic strings. This is done using the new N=2 supersymmetric permutation orbifold building blocks we have recently…

We reconsider the study of the geometric transitions and brane/flux dualities in various dimensions. We first give toric interpretations of the topology changing transitions in the Calabi-Yau conifold and the $Spin(7)$ manifold. The latter,…

We present special classes of orientifold models involving supersymmetry breaking via branes at angles. Type II superstring theories are compactified on a two torus times a four-dimensional orbifold. Combining worldsheet parity with a…

We consider the structure of aperiodic points in $\mathbb Z^2$-subshifts, and in particular the positions at which they fail to be periodic. We prove that if a $\mathbb Z^2$-subshift contains points whose smallest period is arbitrarily…

It is shown that many of the conjectured dualities involving orbifold compactification of M-theory follow from the known dualities involving M-theory and string theory in ten dimensions, and the ansatz that orbifolding procedure commutes…

Seven-manifolds of G_2 holonomy provide a bridge between M-theory and string theory, via Kaluza-Klein reduction to Calabi-Yau six-manifolds. We find first-order equations for a new family of G_2 metrics D_7, with S^3\times S^3 principal…

We briefly review attempts to construct string theories that yield the standard model, concentrating on models with a geometric interpretation. Calabi-Yau compactifications are discussed in the context of both the weakly coupled heterotic…