Related papers: Twist Points as Branch Points for the QCD$_2$ Stri…

Renormalization group evolution of QCD composite light-cone operators, built from two and more quark and gluon fields, is responsible for the logarithmic scaling violations in diverse physical observables. We analyze spectra of anomalous…

We consider $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric pure gauge theories on toric K\"ahler manifolds, with particular emphasis on $\mathbb{CP}^2$. By choosing a vector generating a $U(1)$ action inside the torus of the manifold, we construct…

The actions, anomalies, and quantization conditions allow the M2-brane and the M5-brane to support, in a natural way, structures beyond Spin on their worldvolumes. The main examples are twisted String structures. This also extends to…

We study string theory on singular Z_N quotients of AdS_3, corresponding to spaces with conical defects. The spectrum is computed using the orbifold procedure. It is shown that spectral flow may be used to generate the twisted sectors. We…

We analyze topological string theory on a two dimensional torus, focusing on symmetries in the matter sector. Even before coupling to gravity, the topological torus has an infinite number of point-like physical observables, which give rise…

By embedding N=2 gauge theories in string theory and utilizing string dualities we map the counting of BPS states with arbitrary electric and magnetic charges to computations of an A-model topological string on an associated geometry…

We try to draw lessons for higher dimensions from the string representations recently derived for large $N$ Yang-Mills theory by Gross and Taylor, Kostov, and others, and call attention to three characteristics that should be expected of a…

A few observations concerning topological string theories at the string-tree level are presented: (1) The tree-level, large phase space solution of an arbitrary model is expressed in terms of a variational problem, with an ``action'' equal,…

We construct a covariant open bosonic string field theory on multiple D-branes, which reduces to a non-Abelian group Yang-Mills gauge theory in the zero-slope limit. Making use of the first quantized open bosonic string in the proper time…

We exploit a conjectured continuity between super Yang-Mills on $\mathbb R^3\times \mathbb S^1$ and pure Yang-Mills to study $k$-strings in the latter theory. As expected, we find that Wilson-loop correlation functions depend on the N-ality…

We develop means of computing exact degerenacies of BPS black holes on toric Calabi-Yau manifolds. We show that the gauge theory on the D4 branes wrapping ample divisors reduces to 2D q-deformed Yang-Mills theory on necklaces of P^1's. As…

We use the operator formalism to derive the bosonic contribution to the twisted open string partition function in toroidal compactifications. This amplitude describes, for instance, the planar interaction between g+1 magnetized or…

A well-known connection between n strings winding around a circle and permutations of n objects plays a fundamental role in the string theory of large N two dimensional Yang Mills theory and elsewhere in topological and physical string…

Input from QCD and string theory is used in order to elucidate basic features of the string theory dual of QCD, It is argued that the relevant string theory is a five-dimensional version of the type-0 superstring. The vacuum solution is…

This thesis describes an attempt to write down covariant actions for coincident D-branes using so-called boundary fermions instead of matrices to describe the non-abelian fields. These fermions can be thought of as Chan-Paton degrees of…

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…

I review the status of the issue of the k-string tension in Yang-Mills theory. After a summary of known facts I discuss a weakly coupled four-dimensional Yang-Mills theory that supports non-Abelian strings and can, in certain aspects, serve…

A $D>2$ topological string is presented by coupling the $2d$ topological gravity with the twisted version of the $N=2$ superconformal matter with $c=3k/(k-2)$. The latter is shown to admit $k+1$ chiral primary fields from the…

We study certain properties of six-dimensional tensionless E-strings (arising from zero size $E_8$ instantons). In particular we show that $n$ E-strings form a bound string which carries an $E_8$ level $n$ current algebra as well as a…

In this paper, we study the $n$-point function of $t$-core partitions. The main tool is the topological vertex, originally developed to study the topological string theory for toric Calabi--Yau 3-folds. By virtue of the topological vertex,…