Related papers: Review of W Strings
In order to investigate to what extent string theories are different vacua of a general string theory (the ``universal string"), we discuss realizations of the bosonic string as particular background of certain types of $W$-strings. Our…
We investigate the representation theory of some recently constructed N=2 super W-algebras with two generators. Except for the central charges in the unitary minimal series of the N=2 super Virasoro algebra we find no new rational models.…
In earlier work we proposed a string theory dual to two dimensional Yang-Mills theory at zero coupling (which can also be thought of as a $BF$ theory), given by a Polyakov-like generalization of Ho\v rava's topological rigid string theory,…
A study is made of the implications of heterotic string $T$-duality and extended gauge symmetry for the conjectured equivalence of heterotic and Type I superstrings. While at first sight heterotic string world-sheet dynamics appears to…
String theory dynamics on certain fivebrane supertube backgrounds is described by an exactly solvable null-gauged WZW model. We use this description to compute the spectrum of closed string excitations on the three-charge non-supersymmetric…
Sine-square deformation, a recently found modulation of the coupling strength in certain statistical models, is discussed in the context of two-dimensional conformal field theories, with particular attention to open/closed string duality.…
The unique spherically symmetric metric which has vanishing weyl tensor, is asymptotically desitter, and can model constant galactic rotation curves is presented. Two types of field equations are shown to have this metric as an exact…
Over the last few years, string theory has changed profoundly. Most importantly, novel duality relations have emerged which involve gauge theories of brane excitations on one side and various closed string backgrounds on the other. In this…
We study some properties of target space strings constructed from (2,1) heterotic strings. We argue that world-sheet complexification is a general property of the bosonic sector of such target world-sheets. We give a target space…
As of today there exist consistent, gauge-invariant string field theories describing all string theories: bosonic open and closed strings, open superstrings, heterotic strings and type II strings. The construction of these theories require…
This article, based on the Klein lecture, contains some new results and new speculations on various topics. They include discussion of open strings in the AdS space, unusual features of D-branes, conformal gauge theories in higher…
Duality symmetries for strings moving in non-trivial spacetime backgrounds are analysed. It is shown that, for backgrounds generated from compact WZW and coset models, such duality symmetries are exact to all orders in string perturbation…
We investigate recent claims concerning a new class of cosmic string solutions in the Weinberg-Salam model. They have the general form of previously discussed semi-local and electroweak strings, but are modified by the presence of a…
Some issues in the loop variable renormalization group approach to gauge invariant equations for the free fields of the open string are discussed. It had been shown in an earlier paper that this leads to a simple form of the gauge…
Previous attempts to determine the worldsheet origin of the pure spinor formalism were not completely successful, but introduced important concepts that seem to be connected to its fundamental structure, e.g., emergent supersymmetry and the…
The string theory defined by gauging $\W_{\infty/2}$, the sub-algebra of $\W_{\infty}$ generated by the currents of even spin, is discussed. The critical value of the central charge is calculated using zeta-function techniques and shown to…
We show that two-dimensional SO(N) and Sp(N) Yang-Mills theories without fermions can be interpreted as closed string theories. The terms in the 1/N expansion of the partition function on an orientable or nonorientable manifold M can be…
An explanation of the origin of the hidden eleventh dimension in string theory is given. It is shown that any two sigma models describing the propagation of string backgrounds are related to each other by a Weyl transformation of the…
We realize bosonic string theory with ensembles of infinite width neural networks. The string tension is tuned by the variance of the output weights. The construction provides a new computation of the foundational Virasoro-Shapiro and…
We show how to relate the parafermions that occur in the $W_3$ string to the standard construction of parafermions. This result is then used to show that one of the screening charges that occurs in parafermionic theories is precisely the…