Related papers: Dualities versus Singularities
We review some aspects of moduli in string theory. We argue that one should focus on {\it approximate moduli spaces}, and that there is evidence that such spaces exist non-perturbatively. We ask what it would mean for string theory to…
We establish a relation, conjectured recently by E. Witten, between the hypermultiplet moduli space in compactifications of the heterotic string on an A-D-E singularities, and the moduli spaces of three dimensional pure gauge theories with…
The current classification of $\mathcal{N} = 1$ string theories in eight and seven dimensions is completely captured by K3 surfaces with F-Theory or M-Theory frozen singularities. In this note we show that there are inequivalent ways of…
We argue that T-duality and F-theory appear automatically in the E_8 gauge bundle perspective of M-theory. The 11-dimensional supergravity four-form determines an E_8 bundle. If we compactify on a two-torus, this data specifies an LLE_8…
Witten long ago pointed out that the simplest Kaluza-Klein theory, without supersymmetry, is subject to a catastrophic instability. There are a variety of string theories which are potentially subject to these instabilities. Here we explore…
It is expected that infinite distance limits in the moduli space of quantum gravity are accompanied by a tower of light states. In view of the emergent string conjecture, this tower must either induce a decompactification or correspond to…
We argue that there are two distinct classes of type I compactification to four dimensions on any space. These two classes are distinguished in a mysterious way by the presence (or absence) of a discrete 6-form potential. In simple…
We consider M-theory backgrounds which are gravity duals of mass deformed superconformal field theories in 2+1 dimensions. The specific examples we consider are the B_8, Stenzel, and the Lin-Lunin-Maldacena geometries. These geometries…
Superunification underwent a major paradigm shift in 1984 when eleven-dimensional supergravity was knocked off its pedestal by ten-dimensional superstrings. This last year has witnessed a new shift of equal proportions: perturbative…
Following an old result of Marcus and Schwarz we argue that in the heterotic string theory compactified on a seven dimensional torus, the target space duality group O(7,23;Z) and the strong-weak coupling duality transformations combine into…
It was shown by Connes, Douglas, Schwarz[1] that one can compactify M(atrix) theory on noncommutative torus. We prove that compactifications on Morita equivalent tori are physically equivalent. This statement can be considered as a…
The connection between IIA superstring theory compactified on a circle of radius R and IIB theory compactified on a circle of radius 1/R is reexamined from the perspective of N=2, D=9 space-time supersymmetry. We argue that the consistency…
The superselection sectors of two classes of scalar bilocal quantum fields in D>=4 dimensions are explicitly determined by working out the constraints imposed by unitarity. The resulting classification in terms of the dual of the respective…
We analyze $M$-theory compactified on $(K3\times S^1)/Z_2$ where the $Z_2$ changes the sign of the three form gauge field, acts on $S^1$ as a parity transformation and on K3 as an involution with eight fixed points preserving SU(2)…
The genuine Kaluza-Klein-like theories (with no fields in addition to gravity with torsion) have difficulties with the existence of massless spinors after the compactification of some of dimensions of space\cite{witten}. We demonstrate in…
In a cosmological context, the Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theory contains, in $d+4$ dimensions, a dynamical compactification scenario in which the additional dimensions settle down to a configuration with a constant radion/scale factor. Sadly…
It is shown that many of the conjectured dualities involving orbifold compactification of M-theory follow from the known dualities involving M-theory and string theory in ten dimensions, and the ansatz that orbifolding procedure commutes…
We demonstrate that M-theory compactifications on 7-manifolds of G_2 holonomy, which yield 4d N=1 supersymmetric systems, often admit at special loci in their moduli space a description as type IIA orientifolds. In this way, we are able to…
We demonstrate the emergence of the U-duality group in compactification of Matrix theory on a 4-torus. The discussion involves non-trivial effects in strongly coupled 4+1 dimensional gauge theory, and highlights some interesting phenomena…
Kutasov--type duals of supersymmetric gauge theories had been studied only in the dual regime and the s-confining case. Here we extend the discussion to the case of less flavor, analogous to the case of quantum-modified moduli space in…