nLab String Theory

This entry collects links related to the textbook

• Joseph Polchinski:

  
  

  String Theory

  
  

  Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics

  Cambridge University Press (1998)

  • vol 1: An Introduction to the Bosonic String

    doi:10.1017/CBO9780511816079

    pdf

  • vol 2: Superstring Theory and Beyond

    doi:10.1017/CBO9780511618123

    pdf

on string theory, first bosonic string theory, then superstring theory and with an outlook on M-theory.

See also:

• Matthew Headrick, A solution manual for Polchinski’s “String Theory” [arXiv:0812.4408]

Volume 1 An introduction to the bosonic string

1 A first look at strings

• sigma model

• string

2 Conformal field theory

• 2d CFT

3 The Polyakov path integral

• Polyakov action

• path integral

4 The string spectrum

• BRST-BV formalism

5 The string S-matrix

• S-matrix

• string scattering amplitude

6 Tree-leve amplitudes

• string scattering amplitude

6 One-loop amplitudes

• string scattering amplitude

7 Toroidal compatifications and T-duality

• KK-compactification

• T-duality

8 Higher order amplitudes

• string scattering amplitudes

Appenix A: A short course on path integrals

• path integral

Volume 2 Superstring theory and beyond

10 Type I and type II superstrings

• type II string theory

• type I string theory

11 The heterotic string

• heterotic string theory

12 Superstring interaction

(…)

13 D-Branes

• D-brane

14 Strings at strong coupling

• non-perturbative field theory

• 11-dimensional supergravity

• M-theory

15 Advanced CFT

• CFT

16 Orbifold

• orbifold

17 Calabi-Yau compactifictions

• Calabi-Yau manifold

• KK-compactification

• landscape of string theory vacua

18 Physics in four dimensions

• effective field theory

• string phenomenology

19 Advanced topics

• mirror symmetry

• S-duality

Appendix B: Spinors and SUSY in various dimensions

• spinor, spin representation,

• super Poincare Lie algebra

• supersymmetry

category: reference