Related papers: Strings, Loops, Knots and Gauge Fields
Starting from the observation that in Yang-Mills theory the Schroedinger state functional in the momentum representation is not gauge invariant, we investigate the reversed question: Which are the representations for the operators of a…
String theory is the most promising candidate for the theory unifying all interactions including gravity. It has an extremely difficult dynamics. Therefore, it is useful to study some its simplifications. One of them is non-critical string…
Gauge/gravity duality is the conjecture that string theories have dual descriptions as gauge theories. Weakly-coupled gravity is dual to strongly-coupled gauge theories, ideal for lattice calculations. I will show precision lattice…
We propose a Lorentz-covariant Yang-Mills spin-gauge theory, where the function valued Dirac matrices play the role of a non-scalar Higgs-field. As symmetry group we choose $SU(2) \times U(1)$. After symmetry breaking a non-scalar…
In view of extending gauge/gravity dualities with flavour beyond the probe approximation, we establish the gravity dual description of mesons for a three-dimensional super Yang-Mills theory with fundamental matter. For this purpose we…
We describe the structure of string vacuum states in the supersymmetric matrix model for M theory compactified on a circle in the large-N limit. We show that the theory admits topological instanton field configurations which at…
We consider the theory of pure gravity in 2+1 dimensions, with negative cosmological constant. The theory contains simple matter in the form of point particles; the later are classically described as lines of conical singularities. We…
We study theories of the "General Relativity + Yang-Mills" type in 4d spacetime with cosmological constant, focusing on formulations where the basic variables are connections and curvatures (but no metric). We present a new Lagrangian for…
The Yang-Mills theory associated with the restricted Lorentz group is revisited as a candidate for a theory of gravity. This is a natural idea because the principle of equivalence of gravitation and inertia suggests to introduce locally…
I describe our understanding of physics near the planck length, in particular the great progress of the last four years in string theory. Superstring theory, and a recent extension called M theory, are leading candidates for a quantum…
A covariant scheme for matter coupling with a GL(3,R) gauge formulation of gravity is studied. We revisit a known Yang-Mills type construction, where quadratical power of cosmological constant have to be considered in consistence with…
We show that 3d SU(2) lattice Yang--Mills theory can be cast in the form of an exact string representation. The derivation starts from the exact dual (or spin foam) representation of the lattice gauge theory. We prove that every dual…
We use the duality between color and kinematics to obtain scattering amplitudes in non-minimal conformal N=0,1,2,4 (super)gravity theories. Generic tree amplitudes can be constructed from a double copy between (super-)Yang-Mills theory and…
A key aspect of a recent proposal for a {\em generalized loop representation} of quantum Yang-Mills theory and gravity is considered. Such a representation of the quantum theory has been expected to arise via consideration of a particular…
We describe some of the novel 6d quantum field theories which have been discovered in studies of string duality. The role these theories (and their 4d descendants) may play in alleviating the vacuum degeneracy problem in string theory is…
We describe the constraints imposed on quantum maximal supergravity theories in perturbation theory by the two duality frameworks: S-duality in superstring theory and the AdS/CFT holographic correspondence between IIB superstring theory and…
These lectures trace the origin of string theory as a theory of hadronic interactions (predating QCD itself) to the present ideas on how the QCD string may arise in Superstring theory in a suitably deformed background metric. The…
In the low energy domain of four-dimensional SU(2) Yang-Mills theory the spin and the charge of the gauge field can become separated from each other. The ensuing field variables describe the interacting dynamics between a version of the…
I discuss the early developments of string theory with respect to its connection with gauge theory and general relativity from my own perspective. The period covered is mainly from 1969 to 1974, during which I became involved in research on…
A quantum theory of gravity is described in the case of a positive cosmological constant in 3+1 dimensions. Both old and new results are described, which support the case that loop quantum gravity provides a satisfactory quantum theory of…