Geometry and String Theory
Spring 2016

This is the homepage for the UT Geometry and String Theory Seminar. At the organizational meeting we will flesh out the details of our plans for the semester. Below are some suggestions to get us started.

Spring 2016 Schedule

DateSpeakerTopic
1/20Organizational Meeting
1/27Jacques DistlerTrace Anomalies and 6D SCFT
2/3David KosowerThe Unitarity Method (RLM 9.222)
2/10Lorenzo SadunInteger Quantum Hall Effect
2/17Pavel PutrovFivebranes and manifold invariants
2/24Valentin ZakharevichFractional Quantum Hall
3/2Bei JiaNonabelions in the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect
3/9Dan FreedFermions and Invertible Field Theories
3/23Chris BeemDeformation quantization from superconformal symmetry in three dimensions
3/30David MorrisonThe gauge group (scheme) of an elliptic curve
4/6Andy NeitzkeTopological quantum field theory and Poisson brackets
4/13David Ben-Zvi
4/20
4/27
5/4

References

Conformal Field Theory Generalities

Unitary Representations of the (super)Conformal Algebra

Crossing Symmetry and Conformal Blocks

The (super)Conformal Bootstrap

The Superconformal Index

Uniqueness of the 6D (2,0) Theories, the a-Theorem and Anomalies

(1,0)(1,0) SCFTs in 6 Dimensions


Books and Survey Papers: Topological Insulators and Superconductors

Kitaev’s Toric Code

Classification of Invertible Topological Phases

Generalized Global Symmetries

Topological Band Theory

Integer Quantum Hall Effect

Fractional Quantum Hall Effect

Superconductivity