Related papers: Topological Gravity as Large N Topological Gauge T…
We derive the three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ effective theories obtained by compactifying all five ten-dimensional string theories on generic seven-dimensional manifolds with $G_2$ structure. The resulting flux compactifications are…
We propose a generalisation of the Weak Gravity Conjecture in the presence of scalar fields. The proposal is guided by properties of extremal black holes in ${\cal N}=2$ supergravity, but can be understood more generally in terms of…
We initiate a systematic investigation of the space of 2+1 dimensional quiver gauge theories, emphasising a succinct "forward algorithm". Few "order parametres" are introduced such as the number of terms in the superpotential and the number…
In this thesis we study compactifications of type II string theories and M-theory to four dimensions. We construct the four-dimensional N=2 supergravities that arise from compactifications of type IIA string theory and M-theory on manifolds…
We study the relation between Donaldson-Thomas theory of Calabi-Yau threefolds and a six-dimensional topological Yang-Mills theory. Our main example is the topological U(N) gauge theory on flat space in its Coulomb branch. To evaluate its…
In seven dimensions any spin manifold admits an SU(2) structure and therefore very general M-theory compactifications have the potential to allow for a reduction to N=4 gauged supergravity. We perform this general SU(2) reduction and give…
We present the construction of exactly solvable superconformal field theories describing Type II string models compactified on compact G_2 manifolds. These models are defined by anti-holomorphic quotients of the form (CY*S^1)/Z_2, where we…
When placed on four-manifolds, $ \mathcal{N} = 2 $ gauge theories couple to topological invariants of the background via two functions $ A $ and $ B $. General considerations allow for these functions to be fixed in terms of the Coulomb…
We propose an equivalence of the partition functions of two different 3d gauge theories. On one side of the correspondence we consider the partition function of 3d SL(2,R) Chern-Simons theory on a 3-manifold, obtained as a punctured Riemann…
We consider the close relation between duality in N=2 SUSY gauge theories and integrable models. Various integrable models ranging from Toda lattices, Calogero models, spinning tops, and spin chains are related to the quantum moduli space…
We study vacua of N = 4 half-maximal gauged supergravity in five dimensions and determine crucial properties of the effective theory around the vacuum. The main focus is on configurations with exactly two broken supersymmetries, since they…
Important illustration to the principle ``partition functions in string theory are $\tau$-functions of integrable equations'' is the fact that the (dual) partition functions of $4d$ $\mathcal{N}=2$ gauge theories solve Painlev\'e equations.…
We consider type II string theory compactified on a symmetric T^6/Z_2 orientifold. We study a general class of discrete deformations of the resulting four-dimensional supergravity theory, including gaugings arising from geometric and…
We rederive the recently introduced $N=2$ topological gauge theories, representing the Euler characteristic of moduli spaces ${\cal M}$ of connections, from supersymmetric quantum mechanics on the infinite dimensional spaces ${\cal A}/{\cal…
We discuss non-conformal non-supersymmetric large N gauge theories with vanishing vacuum energy density to all orders in perturbation theory. These gauge theories can be obtained via a field theory limit of Type IIB D3-branes embedded in…
Using the method of simple current extensions, asymmetric Gepner models of Type IIB with N=1 space-time supersymmetry are constructed. The combinatorics of the massless vector fields suggests that these classical Minkowski string vacua…
A formalism is presented to construct a non-perturbative Grand Unified Theory when gravitational Planck-scale phenomena are included. The fundamental object on the Planck scale is the three-torus T^3 from which the known properties of…
Gopakumar, Ooguri and Vafa famously proposed the existence of a correspondence between a topological gauge theory on one hand ($U(N)$ Chern-Simons theory on the three-sphere) and a topological string theory on the other (the topological…
In this review articel we study the gaugings of extended supergravity theories in various space-time dimensions. These theories describe the low-energy limit of non-trivial string compactifications. For each theory under consideration we…
We consider a superrenomalizable gauge theory of topological type, in which the structure group is equal to the inhomogeneous group ISU(2). The generating functional of the correlation functions of the gauge fields is derived and its…