Physics Program Presents

Physical Mathematics from Unphysical Strings

String theory originated as an attempt to understand the nature of strong interactions but has subsequently transformed into a candidate for a "theory of everything."

Nowadays, the idea that our universe is fundamentally described by a theory of strings is still facing both technical and philosophical problems.

However, independent of its status as a theory of nature, it has been remarkably successful as a "physical theory of mathematics."

Much of this success is related to the idea of compactification of extra dimensions, leading to a dictionary between geometry and physics, and the phenomenon of duality, meaning that strings propagating on a given geometry can be physically indistinguishable from other types of strings propagating on a different geometry.

In this talk I will give a (non-technical) introduction to these concepts and illustrate the beautiful interplay between physics and mathematics at the example of counting curves in higher dimensional spaces.

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For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].

Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST/GMT-5

Location: Hegeman 107

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