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syllabus-287

Physics 287a is an introductory course on string theory at Harvard University, covering topics such as effective relativistic strings, conformal field theories, and superstring perturbation theory. The course includes biweekly homework accounting for 60% of the grade and a term paper with a presentation worth 40%. There are no final exams, and the primary textbook is Polchinski’s String Theory, with additional lecture notes provided online.

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40 views

syllabus-287

Physics 287a is an introductory course on string theory at Harvard University, covering topics such as effective relativistic strings, conformal field theories, and superstring perturbation theory. The course includes biweekly homework accounting for 60% of the grade and a term paper with a presentation worth 40%. There are no final exams, and the primary textbook is Polchinski’s String Theory, with additional lecture notes provided online.

Uploaded by

Devang Bajpai
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Physics 287a: Introduction to String Theory

Harvard University, Fall 2019


Instructor: Xi Yin
Email: [email protected]
Office: Jefferson 570
Office Hours: Wednesday 11:30am-12:30pm

Teaching Fellow: Scott Collier


Email: [email protected]
Office: Jefferson 472
Office Hours: Friday 4:00-5:00pm

Course Description: This is the first semester of a full-year course on string theory.
We will start with the effective relativistic string and its quantization in the confor-
mal gauge. We will then take a lengthy digression in two-dimensional conformal field
theories, which will allow us to formulate the perturbative S-matrix of bosonic strings
based on BRST quantization. We will also introduce bosonic string field theory. Next,
we will formulate superstring perturbation theory in the Ramond-Neveu-Schwarz for-
malism based on picture changing operators. We will finish with a brief introduction
to supergravity.
Physics 287br in the spring of 2020 will introduce D-branes, the web of dualities
in superstring theories and M-theory, Calabi-Yau compactification, and the AdS/CFT
correspondence.

Prerequisites: Physics 253a,b and Physics 210, or equivalent.

Course Meetings: Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:00-4:15pm, Jefferson 453

Discussion Sessions: Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30am, Jefferson 453

Course Requirements and Grading:


Homework: There will be biweekly problem sets. You are encouraged to discuss
the problem sets but you should write your solutions individually. The problem sets
will account for 60% of the grade.
Term Paper and Presentation: You are required to write an expository term paper,
and give a 45 minute presentation based on it. You are encouraged to collaborate in

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groups of two, but each person should write the term paper independently. The list of
topics will be handed out mid semester, supplied with references. The presentations
will be held in the reading period, and the term paper is due at the end of the exam
period. The term paper and presentation will account for 40% of the grade.
There will be no final exam.

Textbooks: The standard string theory textbook of the past two decades is Polchinski’s
String Theory, Volume I & II, which you should be reading. I’m working on a new
book, on which most of the lectures will be based. The lecture notes will be posted on
the course website and updated throughout the semester.

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