Chennai Mathematical Institute

Seminars




LECTURE COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT
30/01/19, 06/02/19, 13/02/19, 20/02/19 (Wednesdays); 3.15 pm; Lecture Hall 6
An introduction to string perturbation theory

Subhroneel Chakrabarti
Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai.
20-02-19


Abstract

The aim of these series of lectures is to introduce bosonic string perturbation theory to an audience with no prior knowledge of string theory. Pre-requisites are graduate school level knowledge of quantum field theory and general relativity; some familiarity with basics of 2-dimensional conformal field theory will be helpful, but not necessary. We will start with the physical motivation and the structure of string perturbation theory with the goal of writing down the celebrated Polyakov action. Then go on to discuss its path integral quantization and how 2-dimensional conformal field theory plays a crucial role in string theory. We will then be in a position to compute some simple string amplitudes at tree level and discuss how these amplitudes differ qualitatively from QFT amplitudes. If time permits, we will also discuss 1-loop amplitudes and some of the intriguing physical questions which string perturbation theory fails to answer.