Related papers: Les Houches lectures on matrix models and topologi…
These lectures give a detailed introduction to constructing and analyzing string vacua suitable for phenomenological model building, with particular emphasis on F-theory flux vacua. Topics include (1) general challenges and overview of some…
You may have seen the words "topological recursion" mentioned in papers on matrix models, Hurwitz theory, Gromov-Witten theory, topological string theory, knot theory, topological field theory, JT gravity, cohomological field theory, free…
In these lecture notes for the Les Houches School on Quantum Geometry I give an introductory overview of non-perturbative aspects of topological string theory. After a short summary of the perturbative aspects, I first consider the…
These are lecture notes for two lectures delivered at the Les Houches workshop on Number Theory, Physics, and Geometry, March 2003. They review two examples of interesting interactions between number theory and string compactification, and…
We give an introductory review of topological strings and their application to various aspects of superstrings and supersymmetric gauge theories. This review includes developing the necessary mathematical background for topological strings,…
We use solvable two-dimensional gauge theories to illustrate the issues in relating large N gauge theory to string theory. We also give an introduction to recent mathematical work which allows constructing master fields for higher…
We show that B-model topological strings on local Calabi-Yau threefolds are large N duals of matrix models, which in the planar limit naturally give rise to special geometry. These matrix models directly compute F-terms in an associated N=1…
We study geometric transitions for topological strings on compact Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces in toric varieties. Large N duality predicts an equivalence between topological open and closed string theories connected by an extremal transition.…
Inspired by the intimate relationship between Voiculescu's noncommutative probability theory (of type A) and large-N matrix models in physics, we look for physical models related to noncommutative probability theory of type B. These turn…
We consider the geometric transition and compute the all-genus topological string amplitudes expressed in terms of Hopf link invariants and topological vertices of Chern-Simons gauge theory. We introduce an operator technique of…
In these lecture notes, we provide an introduction to the moduli space of Riemann surfaces, a fundamental concept in the theories of 2D quantum gravity, topological string theory, and matrix models. We begin by reviewing some basic results…
We review the relation between Chern-Simons gauge theory and topological string theory on noncompact Calabi-Yau spaces. This relation has made possible to give an exact solution of topological string theory on these spaces to all orders in…
This thesis presents several new insights on the interface between mathematics and theoretical physics, with a central role for fermions on Riemann surfaces. First of all, the duality between Vafa-Witten theory and WZW models is embedded…
We construct topological B-model descriptions of \hat{c}=1 strings, and corresponding Dijkgraaf-Vafa type matrix models and quiver gauge theories.
These notes are based on lectures given at the Les Houches Summer School in 2011, which was centered on the general topic "Theoretical Physics to face the challenge of LHC". In these lectures I reviewed a number of topics in the field of…
This report summarizes some of the material that was presented by the author during the 2015 Les Houches Summerschool on "Random Matrices and Stochastic Processes". In these Lectures, various applications of Random Matrix Theory in modern…
We study topological and integrable aspects of $\hat{c}=1$ strings. We consider the circle line theories 0A and 0B at particular radii, and the super affine theories at their self-dual radii. We construct their ground rings, identify them…
This thesis is a study of two dimensional noncritical string theory. The main tool which is used, is the matrix model. Introductions to both the Liouville model and its matrix model formulation are included. In particular the special states…
This work addresses nonperturbative effects in both matrix models and topological strings, and their relation with the large-order behavior of the 1/N expansion. We study instanton configurations in generic one-cut matrix models, obtaining…
In this note we present a brief overview of connections between Chern-Simons theory and topological strings. A prominent role in this link has been played by large N dualities and holography. We demystify this by explaining why the Kahler…