ESI Program on Higher Structures in String Theory and Quantum Field Theory Vienna, 16 November - 19 December 2015

COST is supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020

THIS PAGE IS A PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT. THE ACTUAL PROGRAM WILL BE POSTED AT

http://www.esi.ac.at/activities/events/2015/higher-structures-in-string-theory-and-quantum-field-theory

Recent research in quantum field theory, string theory and M-theory has exposed intriguing connections between topology, geometry, analysis and physics. Of interest for this program are the concepts of non-geometry in string theory, higher or categorified quantization and higher gauge theory, KR-theory, K-homology and non-commutative geometric methods and applications to string theory and quantum field theory.

The connections between all of these areas are still evolving.The program will provide instructional lectures for those wishing to learn about all or some of these topics. There will also be two workshops focussing on different aspects of the interactions between these research fields. One of the principal aims of this ESI program is to bring together researchers familiar with different aspects of the current interaction and to expose the area to younger researchers.

Workshop I (Instructional workshop for students and junior researchers) Week 1: November 23-27 Week 2: November 30 - December 4 Speakers: Ralph Blumenhagen (Munich) Peter Bouwknegt (ANU) Shahn Majid (QMUL) Christian Saemann (Heriot-Watt) Urs Schreiber (Prague) Peter Schupp (Bremen) Mathai Varghese (Adelaide) (New) Click here for the schedule and titles and abstracts Workshop II December 7-11: Main workshop. Speakers: David Berman (QMUL) Chris Rogers (Louisiana) Andreas Deser (Hannover) Jonathan Rosenberg (Maryland) Keith Hannabuss (Oxford) Urs Schreiber (Prague) Dieter Luest (LMU) Christoph Schweigert (Hamburg) Jouko Mickelsson (Helsinki) Guo Chuan Thiang (Adelaide) Erik Plauschinn (LMU) Konrad Waldorf (Greifswald) Peter Prešnajder (Comenius University) Maxime Zabzine (Uppsala) Patricia Ritter (Bologna) (New) Click here for the schedule and titles and abstracts Workshop III December 14-16: Mini-workshop on KK-theory, twists and applications. Speakers: Paolo Aschieri (Piemonte) Alan Carey (ANU) Jens Kaad (Nijmegen) Bram Mesland (Leibniz University Hannover) Jonathan Rosenberg (Maryland) Hisham Sati (Pittsburgh) Mahmoud Zeinalian (Long Island University) (New) Click here for the schedule and titles and abstracts

This Instructional School is co-organised by the Action MP1405 "Quantum Structure of Spacetime" from the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), under which there is limited funding to provide partial support to Students and Junior Researchers (80 euro per day). This is to cover living expenses while attending one or both weeks of the instructional workshop. Note that the funding is for up to 10 days excluding the days on which there are no lectures.

Applications should be made to harald.grosse@univie.ac.at and include a letter of support from the supervisor (students) or a cv (postdoctoral fellows).

Further details will be posted on this page as they become available.

Possible topics for the Program

In general terms there will be a focus on geometric and topological problems in string theory and M-theory. In particular the topics of T-duality, non-commutative geometry and M-brane models will be discussed with the aim of understanding their properties in terms of higher geometric structures, topological field theories and Kasparov theory.

This meeting is primarily funded by ESI with contributions from other sources including the Institute for Geometry and its Applications at the University of Adelaide, the Mathematical Sciences Institute at the Australian National University and COST, supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020.