UW Joint Mathematics-Physics
String Theory Seminar
(and related talks)
Next Talk
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Upcoming
Nothing scheduled at the moment.
Past Talks
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Wednesday, 4:15pm
April 24, 2002,
Padelford C-36
Ron Donagi
(University of Pennsylvania)
Gerbes, genus 1 fibrations, and mirror symmetry
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Abstract:
The Fourier-Mukai transform is an equivalence between the derived
categories of a pair of dual tori, or of families of dual tori with a
section. It is often interpreted as the mathematical version of the
physicists' T-duality. When the tori are elliptic curves (real dimension
two, with a complex structure), it interchanges vector bundles with
spectral data. When the tori are three-dimensional special Lagrangian in a
Calabi-Yau threefold, this is conjectured to give mirror symmetry.
Something amazing happens when this story is extended to genus 1
fibrations, or torus fibrations without a section: the Fourier-Mukai
converts these into non-commutative geometries described by a gerbe on the
underlying manifold. In fact, it interchanges the absence of a section
(measured by the Tate-Shafarevich group) with non-commutativity (measured
by the Brauer group). I will explain this phenomenon and discuss its
implications for mirror symmetry.
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Wednesday, 4:00pm
February 27, 2002,
Padelford C-36
Antonella Grassi
(University of Pennsylvania)
Geometry of large N-dualities
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Thursday, 4:00pm
February 21, 2002,
Padelford C-36
Mina Aganagic
(Harvard University)
Geometry, Physics and Duality
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Tuesday, 4:00pm
February 19, 2002,
PAB A110
Mina Aganagic
(Harvard University)
Geometric Physics
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Abstract:
In string theory, there is a deep interplay between physics and
geometry. This is not without precedent. For example, the
relationship between classical gravity and Riemannian geometry is
central to General Relativity. String theory, however, unifies
gravity, quantum mechanics, and gauge theory, so the interaction is
particularly rich and profound. My aim in this talk is to illustrate
this.
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Friday, 4:00pm
February 8, 2002,
Thomson Hall 234
Michael Thaddeus
(Columbia University)
Mirror symmetry and Langlands duality.
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Abstract:
Strominger, Yau, and Zaslow have proposed that a Calabi-Yau orbifold
and its mirror should fiber over the same real orbifold, with special
Lagrangian fibers which are tori dual to each other. We present some
compelling evidence for this conjecture: a set of examples of
hyperkahler orbifolds where the mirror can be explicitly constructed,
and the equality of Hodge numbers predicted by mirror symmetry can be
completely verified. The examples arise as moduli spaces of flat
connections on a 4-torus with compact structure group; the mirror is
the corresponding space with the Langlands dual structure group.
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Thursday, January 31
4:00pm-5:00pm,
Padelford C-36
Eric Zaslow (Northwestern)
Mirror Symmetry: Correspondence and Moduli
ABSTRACT: I will give a tour of mirror symmetry,
focussing on results stemming from equating moduli
spaces of corresponding objects. These include the
usual cast of characters: Gromov-Witten invariants;
Lagrangians and holomorphic disks (Floer homology);
and sheaves and holomorphic Chern-Simons theory.
In addition, I will highlight some recent and future
directions along these lines, involving M-theory and
manifolds of G_2 holonomy. The lesson is that duality
is an extremely strong assertion, whose consequences
we should still vigorously pursue.
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Thursday, January 24
4:00pm-5:00pm,
Padelford C-36
Calin-Iuliu Lazaroiu (SUNY Stony-Brook)
D-brane categories and their relation
with mirror symmetry
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Tuesday, January 22
2:30-3:30pm,
PAB C421
Mina Aganagic
D-branes, Geometry, and Duality
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Wednesday, November 7
6:00pm-7:00pm,
210
Kane Hall
Brian Greene (Columbia University)
The Elegant Universe
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Monday, October 29
1:30pm-2:30pm,
PAB C421
Steve Shenker (Stanford University)
M Theory Signatures in the Cosmic Microwave Background
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Monday, October 29
4:00pm-5:00pm,
PAB A102
Steve Shenker (Stanford University)
The quest for quantum gravity
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Tuesday, October 23
1:30pm-2:30pm,
Padelford C-36
Dipankar Ray (Seattle)
An Introduction to Mirror Symmetry for Mathematicians
Send comments to:
kovacs@math.washington.edu
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