Related papers: On flat connections with non-diagonalizable holono…

We give a unified approach to localization of maximally symmetric gauge theories on spheres, including $S^6$ and $S^7$. The approach follows Pestun's method of dimensionally reducing from 10 dimensional super Yang-Mills. The resulting…

We study modular symmetries in non-supersymmetric heterotic string theories on toroidal backgrounds with Wilson line modulus, constructed by stringy Scherk-Schwartz compactification. In particular, we focus on a subgroup of the T-duality…

In this note, we propose an extension of the relation between worldsheet global symmetries and structures over moduli spaces of superconformal field theories (SCFTs) to include noninvertible symmetries. The most familiar examples of such…

We study M-theory on two classes of manifolds of Spin(7) holonomy that are developing an isolated conical singularity. We construct explicitly a new class of Spin(7) manifolds and analyse in detail the topology of the corresponding…

We completely classify simply connected non-spin $7$-manifolds with only non-trivial middle homology groups $H_{2}\cong H_{4}\cong \mathbb{Z}\big/2$. They are referred to as $\mathcal{G}_{3}(\mathrm{Wu})$-like manifolds, and they have the…

The structure of the moduli spaces $\M := \A/\G$ of (all, not just flat) $SL(2,C)$ and $SU(1,1)$ connections on a n-manifold is analysed. For any topology on the corresponding spaces $\A$ of all connections which satisfies the weak…

The exceptional holonomy groups are G2 in 7 dimensions, and Spin(7) in 8 dimensions. In a previous paper (Invent. math. 123 (1996), 507-552) the author constructed the first examples of compact 8-manifolds with holonomy Spin(7), by…

Witten's approach to Khovanov homology of knots is based on the five-dimensional system of partial differential equations, which we call Haydys-Witten equations. We argue for a one-to-one correspondence between its solutions and solutions…

We investigate hetrotic string theory on special holonomy manifolds including exceptional holonomy G_2 and Spin(7) manifolds. The gauge symmetry is F_4 in a G_2 manifold compactification, and so(9) in a Spin(7) manifold compactification. We…

Witten's class on the moduli space of 3-spin curves defines a (non-semisimple) cohomological field theory. After a canonical modification, we construct an associated semisimple CohFT with a non-trivial vanishing property obtained from the…

We investigate left-invariant Hitchin and hypo flows on $5$-, $6$- and $7$-dimensional Lie groups. They provide Riemannian cohomogeneity-one manifolds of one dimension higher with holonomy contained in $SU(3)$, $G_2$ and $Spin(7)$,…

Let G be one of the Ricci-flat holonomy groups SU(n), Sp(n), Spin(7) or G_2, and M a compact manifold of dimension 2n, 4n, 8 or 7, respectively. We prove that the natural map from the moduli space of torsion-free G-structures on M to the…

The results of the paper concern the topological structure of complete riemannian manifolds with cyclic holonomy groups and low-dimensional orientable complete flat manifolds. We also discuss related results such as the affine…

For each integer $d$ at least two, we construct non-spin closed oriented flat manifolds with holonomy group $\mathbb Z_2^d$ and with the property that all of their finite proper covers have a spin structure. Moreover, all such covers have…

We study conical defect geometries in the SL(N) Chern-Simons formulation of higher spin gauge theories in AdS_3. We argue that (for N\geq 4) there are special values of the deficit angle for which these geometries are actually smooth…

We give a new, connected-sum-like construction of Riemannian metrics with special holonomy G_2 on compact 7-manifolds. The construction is based on a gluing theorem for appropriate elliptic partial differential equations. As a prerequisite,…

All supersymmetric gauge theories based on simple groups which have an affine quantum moduli space, i.e. one generated by gauge invariants with no relations, W=0, and anomaly matching at the origin, are classified. It is shown that the only…

A new symmetry of $(1,0)$ supersymmetric non-linear $\sigma$-models in two dimensions with Fermi and mass sectors is introduced. It is a generalisation of the so-called special holonomy $W$-symmetry of Howe and Papadopoulos associated with…

We study mirror symmetry of type II strings on manifolds with the exceptional holonomy groups $G_2$ and Spin(7). Our central result is a construction of mirrors of Spin(7) manifolds realized as generalized connected sums. In parallel to…

The homotopical information hidden in a supersymmetric structure is revealed by considering deformations of a configuration manifold. This is in sharp contrast to the usual standpoints such as Connes' programme where a geometrical structure…