THEMATIC PROGRAMS

December 26, 2024

Thematic Program on The Geometry of String Theory 2004-2005
Coxeter Lecture Series


January 17-20, 2005
ROBBERT DIJKGRAAF
(Institute for Theoretical Physics, Amsterdam)
talks to be held at the Fields Institute, Toronto & Perimeter Institute, Waterloo

**Shuttle bus service is available between Perimeter and Fields.

SCHEDULE OF TALKS

Monday, Jan. 17 - 3:30 p.m. -- Fields Institute
The Mathematics of String Theory

One of the lasting impacts of string theory will be its stimulating influence in mathematics. Diverse subjects such as geometry, topology, representation theory, and infinite dimensional analysis have been transformed by ideas from physics. Furthermore, string theory has uncovered new interconnections between these various parts of mathematics stressing again the unity of mathematical thought. I will highlight some of the most striking phenomena of this new dialogue: conformal field theory, mirror symmetry, and matrix models.

Tuesday, Jan. 18 - 2:00 p.m. -- Perimeter Institute, Waterloo
Topological String Theory I

Thursday, Jan. 20 - 2:00 p.m. -- Fields Institutue
Topological String Theory II

In these two lectures I will present on overview of topological string theory, starting with the basic concepts and continuing to the most recent developments. Aspects that will be covered are: closed and open strings, Gromov-Witten theory, matrix models, quantum crystals, and special holonomy manifolds. I will end with some more speculative thoughts about the non-perturbative definition of (topological) string theory and quantum geometry.

**Shuttle bus service is available from Perimeter to Fields.

The Fields Institute Coxeter Lecture Series (CLS) brings a leading mathematician to the Institute to give a series of three lectures in the field of the current thematic program.The first talk is an overview for a general mathematical audience, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. The other two talks are chosen, in collaboration with the organizers of the thematic program, to target specialists in the field.

Index of Fields Distinguished and Coxeter Lectures.

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