String theory, extra dimensions, and more dimensions
Henning Samtleben (LPENSL)
| When |
Mar 06, 2023
from 11:00 to 12:00 |
|---|---|
| Where | Salle des Thèses |
| Attendees |
Henning Samtleben |
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String theory has a long and colorful history which I will briefly review. Today, it is considered as a unifying framework beyond the language of quantum field theory, in which the standard model and general relativity can consistently be embedded and studied. Mathematical consistency of the theory predicts the existence of extra spatial dimensions, however curled up at length scales undetectable at the currently achievable energies. This ‘compactification’ draws on the seminal work by Kaluza and Klein, and has recently acquired a new twist with mathematical progress in so-called generalized and exceptional geometry. Notably, the extended nature of the fundamental objects gives rise to a ‘stringy’ generalization of Riemannian geometry.