Related papers: Mathematics Underlying the F-Theory/Heterotic Stri…
We study the family of K3 surfaces of Picard rank sixteen associated with the double cover of the projective plane branched along the union of six lines, and the family of its Van Geemen-Sarti partners, i.e., K3 surfaces with special…
We systematically analyze a broad class of dual heterotic and F-theory models that give four-dimensional supergravity theories, and compare the geometric constraints on the two sides of the duality. Specifically, we give a complete…
We consider relationships between families of K3 surfaces, in the context of string theory. An important ingredient of string theory also of interest in algebraic geometry is T-duality. Donagi and Pantev have extended the original duality…
Different compactifications of six-dimensional string theory on $M_4 \times T^2$ are considered. Particular attention is given to the roles of the reduced modes as the $S$ and $T$ fields. It is shown that there is a discrete group of…
Heterotic string compactifications on a $K3$ surface $\mathfrak{S}$ depend on a choice of hyperk\"ahler metric, anti-self-dual gauge connection and Kalb-Ramond flux, parametrized by hypermultiplet scalars. The metric on hypermultiplet…
We study heterotic $E_8\times E_8$ models that are dual to compactifications of F-theory and type IIA string on certain classes of elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau manifolds. Different choices for the specific torus in the fibration have…
It is argued that $M$-theory compactified on {\it any} of Joyce's $Spin(7)$ holonomy 8-manifolds are dual to compactifications of heterotic string theory on Joyce 7-manifolds of $G_2$ holonomy.
Little String Theory (LST) is a still somewhat mysterious theory that describes the dynamics near a certain class of time-like singularities in string theory. In this paper we discuss the topological version of LST, which describes…
To understand in detail duality between heterotic string and F theory compactifications, it is important to understand the construction of holomorphic G bundles over elliptic Calabi-Yau manifolds, for various groups G. In this paper, we…
T-duality of string theory suggests nonlocality manifested as the shortest possible distance. As an alternative, we suggest a nonlocal formulation of string theory that breaks T-duality at the fundamental level and does not require the…
We consider M(atrix) theory compactifications to seven dimensions with eight unbroken supersymmetries. We conjecture that both M(atrix) theory on K3 and Heterotic M(atrix) theory on T^3 are described by the same 5+1 dimensional theory with…
This paper investigates the significance of T-duality in string theory: the indistinguishability with respect to all observables, of models attributing radically different radii to space -- larger than the observable universe, or far…
The doubled formulation of string theory, which is T-duality covariant and enlarges spacetime with extra coordinates conjugate to winding number, is reformulated and its geometric and topological features examined. It is used to formulate…
The past year has seen enormous progress in string theory. It has become clear that all of the different string theories are different limits of a single theory. Moreover, in certain limits, one obtains a new, eleven-dimensional structure…
We study, as hypersurfaces in toric varieties, elliptic Calabi-Yau fourfolds for F-theory compactifications dual to E8xE8 heterotic strings compactified to four dimensions on elliptic Calabi-Yau threefolds with some choice of vector bundle.…
This paper, in a sense, completes a series of three papers. In the previous two hep-th/0404013, hep-th/0410293, we have explored the possibility of refining the K-theory partition function in type II string theories using elliptic…
This note is supposed to be an introduction to those concepts of toric geometry that are necessary to understand applications in the context of string and F-theory dualities. The presentation is based on the definition of a toric variety in…
We discuss heterotic string theories in two dimensions with gauge groups Spin(24) and Spin(8) x E_8. After compactification the theories exhibit a rich spectrum of states with both winding and momentum. At special points some of these…
We present supersymmetric soliton solutions of the four-dimensional heterotic string corresponding to monopoles, strings and domain walls. These solutions admit the $D=10$ interpretation of a fivebrane wrapped around $5$, $4$ or $3$ of the…
We study the duality between the Spin$(32)/\mathbb{Z}_2$ heterotic string without vector structure and F-theory with frozen singularities. We give a complete description in theories with $6$d $\mathcal{N}=(1,0)$ supersymmetry and identify…