Abstract: In the context of M-theory dual of large-N thermal QCD-like theories at intermediate coupling, we will discuss: (i) SU(3)/SU(4)/G_2/Spin(7)-torsion classes of the underlying six-, seven- and eight-folds en route to obtaining the O(R^4) corrections of the “MQGP” metric, (ii) explicit construction of (Almost) Contact (3)(Metric) Structure(s) along with a Contact Structure and three-tuples of SU(3) structures along the “transverse” six-fold induced by the AC(3)MS on an underlying closed seven-fold, (iii) up to O(R^4) via a (semiclassical) holographic computation of the deconfinement temperature, a non-renormalization beyond one loop of M-chiral perturbation theory-compatible deconfinement Temperature, an equivalence with an Entanglement (as well as Wald) entropy computation, a specific combination of the aforementioned quartic corrections to the metric components precisely along the compact part of the non-compact four-cycle “wrapped” by the flavor D7-branes of the parent type IIB dual appearing in all results [referred to as “Flavor Memory effect”], (iv) a doubly holographic extension of the M-theory dual and obtain a Page curve of the relevant eternal neutral black hole and in the process obtain a “Swiss-cheese” structure for the entanglement entropy for the  Hartman-Maldacena(HM)-like surface along with an exponential-in-N suppression of the O(R^4) corrections to the entanglement entropies for the HM and  Island surfaces due to massless graviton (localized to the “ETW”-hypersurface/brane due to a “volcano” potential) corresponding to null eigenvalues of the Laplace-Beltrami differential in the internal space, and (v) QCD-compatible inert supermassive mesinos (thereby resolving a longstanding problem with the Sakai-Sugimoto model).

(The seminar will be based on arXiv:2004.07259 [Adv Theor. Math. Phys (2022, vol 26, no. 10)], 2011.04660 [JHEP 08 (2021) 151], 2108.05372 [JHEP 10 (2021) 220], 2207.04048 [Phys. Rev.D 107 (2023) 10], 2211.13186, and 2308.05033).