String theory

2010-07-07T14:40:45Z

Hess5635:

see also [[Colloquia]], [[Conformal Field Theory]]
__FORCETOC__
===books===
[http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8456.html '''String Theory in a nutshell'''] 
by Elias Kiritsis, (Princeton University Press, 2007, [http://users.physics.uoc.gr/~kiritsis/string-book/index.html Errata]) 
This book is an up to date presentation of the main parts of modern string theory, targeting
specialized students and postdocs entering or working in string theory.
It contains also a large set of problems, as well as chapters on black-hole microstate counting, matrix models and an extendent
exposition of the AdS/CFT correspondence.

'''String Theory and M-Theory''' 
by Katrin Becker, Melanie Becker and John Schwarz (CUP, 2006)

'''A First Course in String Theory''' 
by Barton Zwiebach, (CUP, 2003) 
This book is intended for the advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level. No familiarity with quantum field theory is assumed (although Zwiebach does assume a working knowledge of quantum mechanics). It focuses on the study of single
strings and their interactions, which can be understood in some
detail. Of necessity, however, it is impossible to address many
advanced topics.

'''String Theory''' 
'''Volume 1: An Introduction to the Bosonic String''' 
'''Volume 2: Superstring Theory and Beyond''' 
by Joe Polchinski (two volumes, CUP, 1998, [http://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/~joep/errata.html errata]) 
This book addresses the discoveries of the [http://uk.bestessays.com/ custom essays]
superstring revolutions of the early to mid 1990s, which mark the
beginnings of modern string theory. Volume 1 quantises the
bosonic string and uses this setting to introduce T-duality and
D-branes without the complications of fermions. The first three chapters of volume 2
introduce superstrings, but quickly move beyond. The rest of
the second book provides an introduction to nearly all modern string
topics pre-dating the AdS/CFT duality. In particular, it includes D-branes,
Orbifolds, Black Hole Entropy, and Mirror symmetry. 
Some of the errata were corrected in the reprinting in 2000. 
[http://arxiv.org/abs/0812.4408 A solution manual for Polchinski's "String Theory"] 
by Matthew Headrick (0812.4408 [hep-th], 114 pages)

'''Superstring Theory''' 
'''Volume 1: Introduction''' 
'''Volume 2: Loop Amplitudes, Anomalies and Phenomenology''' 
by Michael Green, John Schwarz and Edward Witten (two volumes, CUP, 1988) 
Volume 1 is the first of a classic two-volume string text by founders in the field. Though there are now many more modern
texts, it containing many details that more recent texts
must skim through to discuss modern topics. Volume 1 is concerned mainly with the free string, though it treats both bosonic and supersymmetric versions. Volume 2 addresses the details of loop
calculations, but also discusses low-energy effective theories (in particular, supergravity) and compactifications (especially on Calabi-Yau manifolds).

'''Supersymmetry and String Theory: Beyond the Standard Model''' 
by Michael Dine (CUP, 2007)

'''Gravity and Strings''' 
by Tomás Ortín (CUP, 2004)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9709062 Introduction to Superstring Theory] 
by E. Kiritsis (Leuven University Press, 1998, hep-th/9709062, 244 pages, 22 figures) 
Also available from the arXiv. Kiritsis provides a pedagogical introduction starting with the point particle and the bosonic string, and
then proceeds through conformal
field theory and the superstring. Advanced topics treated include T- duality, anomalies, compactification and supersymmetry breaking,
loop corrections, and non-perturbative dualities.

'''Lectures on String Theory''' 
by D. Lüst and S. Theisen (Springer-Verlag, 1989) 
This very useful text features a short route to the superstring and includes an excellent treatment of the heterotic string.

'''Quantum Field Theory of Point Particles and Strings''' 
by B. Hatfield (Perseus Publishing, 1998) 
An updated version of Hatfield's 1992 book, the first half quickly reviews quantum field theory while the second introduces the very basics of strings.

'''Gauge fields and Strings''' 
by A. M. Polyakov (Harwood Academic Publishers, 1987) 
This classic work uses a detailed treatment of quantum field theory in terms of first-quantized particles to make a natural transition to the first quantized string. Details of path-integral measures and other fundamentals are well-presented.

'''Introduction to Superstrings and M-Theory''' 
by M. Kaku (Springer Verlag, 1999) 
This updated version of an earlier text begins with the basics and, after some development, addresses advanced topics such as compactifications and M-theory. As a one-volume text, it cannot be comprehensive and, as a result, has a rather light discussion of D-branes.

'''Strings, Conformal Fields, and M-Theory''' 
by M. Kaku (Springer Verlag, 2000) 
The intent of this text is to build on ''Introduction to Superstrings and M-theory'', addressing a number of more modern topics and illustrating the relationship to a broad range of related topics.

===reviews===
[http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/tong/string.html DAMTP Part III 2009 Lectures on String Theory] 
by David Tong

[http://arxiv.org/abs/0809.1036 String Theory: A Framework for Quantum Gravity and Various Applications] 
by Spenta R. Wadia (0809.1036, 38 pages, 5 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/0808.0663 Introductory Lectures on String Theory] 
by A.A. Tseytlin (0808.0663, 38 pages, 21 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0605105 Superstring theories] 
by Constantin Bachas, Jan Troost (physics/0605105, 12 pages, 5 figures) 
concise review for Encyclopedia of Mathematical Physics (Elsevier, 2006)

[http://www.math.ias.edu/QFT/spring/ String Theory] 
by Eric D'Hoker (downloadable from the [http://www.math.ias.edu/QFT/spring/ Quantum Field Theory program at IAS: Spring Term 1997])

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9703136 Les Houches Lectures on Fields, Strings and Duality] 
by R. Dijkgraaf (hep-th/9703136, 152 pages, 31 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9708130 Introduction to Non-perturbative String Theory] 
by Elias Kiritsis (hep-th/9708130, 60 pages, 4 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9810240 String Primer] 
by E. Alvarez and P. Meessen (hep-th/9810240, 87 pages, 4 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9612254 TASI Lectures on Perturbative String Theories] 
by Hirosi Ooguri, Zheng Yin (hep-th/9612254, 80 pages)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9411028 What is String Theory?] 
by Joseph Polchinski (hep-th/9411028, 153 pages, 30 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0302147 An Introduction to the Covariant Quantization of Superstrings] 
by P.A. Grassi, G. Policastro, P. van Nieuwenhuizen (hep-th/0302147, 23 pages)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0211111 Lectures on Two-Loop Superstrings] 
by Eric D'Hoker, D.H. Phong (hep-th/0211111, 37 pages, 3 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0209059 ICTP Lectures on Covariant Quantization of the Superstring] 
by Nathan Berkovits (hep-th/0209059, 43 pages)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0204089 Open Strings] 
by Carlo Angelantonj, Augusto Sagnotti (hep-th/0204089, 156 pages)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0201209 TASI Lectures on Perturbative String Theory and Ramond-Ramond Flux] 
by L. Dolan (hep-th/0201209, 39 pages)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9910156 An Introduction to Conformal Field Theory] 
by Matthias R Gaberdiel (hep-th/9910156, 69 pages)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9604123 A New Description of the Superstring] 
by Nathan Berkovits (hep-th/9604123)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9709062 Introduction to Superstring Theory] 
by E. Kiritsis (hep-th/9709062, 244 pages, 22 figures) 
Also available as a [[#book|book]]. Kiritsis provides a pedagogical introduction starting with the point particle and the bosonic string, and
then proceeds through conformal
field theory and the superstring. Advanced topics treated include T- duality, anomalies, compactification and supersymmetry breaking,
loop corrections, and non-perturbative dualities.

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9802051 An Introduction to Non-perturbative String Theory] 
by Ashoke Sen (hep-th/9802051, 129 pages, 22 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ex/0008017 Introduction to Superstring Theory] 
by John H. Schwarz (hep-ex/0008017, 44 pages)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0110055 Strings, Branes and Extra Dimensions] 
by Stefan Forste (hep-th/0110055, 238 pages)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0212114 String Theory or Field Theory?] 
by A. Marshakov (hep-th/0212114, 56 pages, 18 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0210224 String theory: an update] 
by Jan de Boer (hep-th/0210224, 20 pages, 2 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0207249 Introduction to String Theory] 
by Thomas Mohaupt (hep-th/0207249, 78 pages)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0207142 BUSSTEPP Lectures on String Theory] 
by Richard J. Szabo (hep-th/0207142, 90 pages, 24 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0205036 Introduction to M-theory for relativists and cosmologists] 
by Nobuyoshi Ohta (gr-qc/0205036, 28 pages, 7 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0010046 Topics on Strings, Branes and Calabi-Yau Compactifications] 
by Hugo Garcia-Compean, Oscar Loaiza-Brito (hep-th/0010046, 50 pages, no figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0003019 Lectures on Strings, D-branes and Gauge Theories] 
by Hugo Garcia-Compean, Oscar Loaiza-Brito (hep-th/0003019, 38 pages, no figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9906108 An introduction to perturbative and non-perturbative string theory] 
by Ignatios Antoniadis, Guillaume Ovarlez (hep-th/9906108, 17 pages)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9811101 Supergravity, Brane Dynamics and String Duality] 
by P. West (hep-th/9811101, 109 pages, 2 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9811019 Introduction to M Theory] 
by Miao Li (hep-th/9811019, 76 pages)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9810240 String Primer] 
by E. Alvarez, P. Meessen (hep-th/9810240, 87 pages, 4 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9702201 Lectures on Strings and Dualities] 
by Cumrun Vafa (hep-th/9702201, 53 pages)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9711102 Fields, Strings and Branes] 
by C. Gomez, R. Hernandez (hep-th/9711102, 176 pages, 6 figures)

[http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9703136 Les Houches Lectures on Fields, Strings and Duality] 
by R. Dijkgraaf (hep-th/9703136, 152 pages, 31 figures)

[http://gesalerico.ft.uam.es/paginaspersonales/angeluranga/firstpage.html Introduction to String Theory] 
by Angel Uranga (Graduate Course in String Theory, 528 pages)

[http://www.strings.ph.qmul.ac.uk/~busstepp/lectures/mukhi/lectures/busstepp.pdf String Theory] 
by Sunil Mukhi (BUSSTEPP 2003 Lectures, 147 pages). Downloadable from [http://www.strings.ph.qmul.ac.uk/~busstepp/ BUSSTEPP 2003 Website]

[http://www.arxiv.org/abs/0704.0101 The birth of string theory] 
by Paolo Di Vecchia (0704.0101, 60 pages) 
Covers developments that in the years 1968 to 1974 led from the Veneziano model to the bosonic string.

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String theory