Abstract
In these lecture notes we will give a basic description of string theory aimed at students with no previous experience. Most of the discussion focuses on the bosonic string quantized used the so-called old covariant formulation, although we will also briefly introduce light cone quantization. In the final lecture we will discuss how supersymmetry can be included on the worldsheet, leading to type IIA, type IIB and heterotic superstrings.
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Notes
- 1.
This is simplifying things if the R-R-scalar a is not zero but a more general statement is true in that case.
References
Green, M.B., Schwarz, J.H., Witten, E.: Superstring Theory, vol. 1 and 2. University Press, Cambridge (1987) (Cambridge Monographs On Mathematical Physics)
Polchinski, J.: String Theory, vol. 1 and 2, p. 558. University Press, Cambridge (1998)
Zwiebach, B.: A First Course in String Theory, p. 558. University Press, Cambridge (2004)
Becker, K., Becker, M., Schwarz, J.H.: String Theory and M-Theory: A Modern Introduction, p. 739. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2004)
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Lambert, N. (2012). String Theory 101. In: Baumgartl, M., Brunner, I., Haack, M. (eds) Strings and Fundamental Physics. Lecture Notes in Physics, vol 851. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-25947-0_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-25947-0_1
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