Physics 250 - String Theory II: QFT/Gravity Correspondence

including: AdS/CFT Correspondence, Black Holes & Branes, Matrix Models, etc.

Fall 2005, Tue and Thu, 11:10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., 430 Birge Hall
(The course has been rescheduled from the original starting time of 9:40am, to avoid numerous conflicts with concurrent courses in Physics and Math)

Instructor: Petr Hořava (email: horava@berkeley.edu)
Office: 441 Birge (usually on Tue and Thu); 50A-5107 LBNL (usually on Mon, Wed, Fri)

In order to fulfill the requirements of the course, each student will:
(1) choose a research paper (either of your own choosing from hep-th archives, related to AdS/CFT correspondence or gauge-gravity duality, or from a list of about ten recommended papers which is now finally available here). If you opt for a paper of your own choosing, please double-check with me a.s.a.p. by email or personally that it is an acceptable choice. All decisions should be made by (or around) Thanksgiving.
(2) write a two-page summary of the chosen paper and turn it in by Dec 8, and
(3) make a ten-to-fifteen minute presentation of the paper in front of the class on December 8.