Related papers: Introduction to Differential W-Geometry
By generalizing the Drinfel'd--Sokolov reduction we construct a large class of W algebras as reductions of Kac--Moody algebras. Furthermore we construct actions, invariant under local left and right W transformations, which are the…
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 give a review of the extended conformal algebras, known as $W$ algebras, which contain currents of spins higher than 2 in addition to the energy-momentum tensor. These include the non-linear $W_N$ algebras; the linear $W_\infty$ and…
These lecture notes are based on three lectures, each ninety minutes long, given by the author at the "International School on Strings and Fundamental Physics" which took place in Garching/Munich from July 25 to August 6, 2010. These…
This review is based on two lectures given at the 2000 TMR school in Torino. We discuss two main themes: i) Moyal-type deformations of gauge theories, as emerging from M-theory and open string theories, and ii) the noncommutative geometry…
We show that the new classical action for two dimensional gravity (the Jackiw-Teitelboim model) possesses a $W_3$ algebra. We quantise the resulting $W_3$ gravity in the presence of matter fields with arbitrary central charges and obtain…
In general relativity (GR), spacetime geometry is no longer just a background arena but a physical and dynamical entity with its own degrees of freedom. We present an overview of approaches to quantum gravity in which this central feature…
Based on the observation that the dimension of the tangent space is not necessarily equal to the dimension of the corresponding curved manifold and on the known fact that gravitational theories can be formulated in a gauge theoretic way, we…
The extended phase space method of Batalin, Fradkin and Vilkovisky is applied to formulate two dimensional gravity in a general class of gauges. A BRST formulation of the light-cone gauge is presented to reveal the relationship between the…
Ten-dimensional type II supergravity can be reformulated as a generalised geometrical analogue of Einstein gravity, defined by an $O(9,1)\times O(1,9)\subset O(10,10)\times\mathbb{R}^+$ structure on the generalised tangent space. To leading…
Preliminary investigations of the topological phase of string theory along the lines of a (restricted) $\dot{w}_{\infty}$ non-linear sigma model are provided. Gauge fixing the w gravity gauge fields by preserving a geometric identity Lorenz…
I discuss the recent progress in bypassing the KPZ barrier for the existence of nonperturbative bosonic strings in $1<d<25$. I consider string anomalies which emerge from higher terms of the DeWitt-Seeley expansion as $\varepsilon \times…
An overview of some of the developments in string theory over the past two years is given, focusing on four topics: realistic (standard model like) models from string theory, geometric engineering and theories with fluxes, the gauge…
We study gravity in backgrounds that are smooth generalizations of the Randall-Sundrum model, with and without scalar fields. These generalizations include three-branes in higher dimensional spaces which are not necessarily Anti-de Sitter…
We construct the non-linear realisation of E11 and its first fundamental representation in eleven dimensions at low levels. The fields depend on the usual coordinates of space-time as well as two form and five form coordinates. We derive…
In the context of generalised geometry we investigate reductions to $SU(m)\times SU(m)$ together with an integrability condition which in dimension 6 describes the geometry of type II supergravity compactifications.
Generalised geometry studies structures on a d-dimensional manifold with a metric and 2-form gauge field on which there is a natural action of the group SO(d,d). This is generalised to d-dimensional manifolds with a metric and 3-form gauge…
We study the inclusion of point and string matter in the deSitter gauge theory, or MacDowell-Mansouri formulation of four dimensional gravity. We proceed by locally breaking the gauge symmetries of general relativity along worldlines and…
A brief review is given of an adaptation of the coadjoint orbit method appropriate for study of models with infinite-dimensional symmetry groups. It is illustrated on several examples, including derivation of the WZNW action of induced…
We describe recent attempts at discretizing canonical quantum gravity in four dimensions in terms of a connection formulation. This includes a general introduction, a comparison between the real and complex connection approach, and a…