Chennai Mathematical Institute

Silver Jubilee Events


CMI Silver Jubilee Lecture

Rajesh Gopakumar, ICTS, Bangalore

The Remarriage of Mathematics and Physics

Friday, September 11, 2015

Abstract:

The histories of mathematics and physics have been inextricably entwined, with each enriching the other. However, in the middle of the twentieth century they had drifted apart with little communication between the areas. This has changed in the last 20-30 years and one sees a renewed engagement between the disciplines. I will describe, from a theoretical physicist's perspective, some of the exciting ideas that have emerged from this cross-fertilisation. In particular, I will also try to give a flavour of the so-called gauge-string duality which promises to open yet new frontiers in both subjects.