Physics 250 - Introduction to String Theory I & II: D-Branes

Fall 2003, Tue and Thu, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m., 430 Birge Hall.
Instructor: Petr Horava

Basic Info

Can string theory be taught in one semester? Yes! The trick is to focus on the physics of D-branes (=spacetime defects specific to string theory), which will allow us to first develop the basics of string perturbation theory at a fairly elementary level, and then move on quickly to very modern aspects of string theory, such as dualities between string vacua, AdS/CFT correspondence, etc. As our primary textbook, we will use the new book on D-Branes by Clifford Johnson (more info on the book, such as the errata, can be found here.) This book seems to be written exactly at the level appropriate for this type of course, and we will test whether or not it can serve as a useful starting point for learning about modern aspects of string theory.

horava@socrates.berkeley.edu