I will discuss recent developments in constructions of 5d N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories and their UV fixed points, which are strongly-coupled SCFTs. The lectures will start with some background on 5d gauge theories, their Coulomb branch and effective action, as well as their constructions in M-theory on non-compact Calabi-Yau threefolds. In the second lecture I will discuss some new developments of various groups in the past year.

In this talk, based on the work to appear, we present an alternative representation of the conformal block with external scalars in general spacetime dimensions in terms of a finite summation over Appell fourth hypergeometric function, and its generalization to the primary operator exchange with continuous spin which is relevant for Lorentzian spacetime. Using these results we apply the Lorentzian inversion formula to compute so-called crossing kernel in general spacetime dimensions, and the result can be written as a double infinite summation over certain Kempe de Feriet hypergeometric functions. During the talk, we will introduce various physical quantities and discuss their subtitles and applications.

We test various conjectures on quantum gravity with general 6d string compactifications in the framework of F-theory. Starting with a gauge theory coupled to gravity, we first analyze the limit in Kähler moduli space where the gauge coupling tends to zero while gravity is kept dynamical. A key observation is made about the appearance of a tensionless string in such a limit. For a more quantitative analysis, we focus on a U(1) gauge symmetry and determine the elliptic genus of this string in terms of certain meromorphic weak Jacobi forms, of which modular properties allow us to determine the charge-to-mass ratios of certain string excitations. A tower of these asymptotically massless charged states are then confirmed to satisfy the (sub-)Lattice Weak Gravity Conjecture, the Completeness Conjecture, and the Swampland Distance Conjecture. We interpret their charge-to-mass ratios in two a priori independent perspectives. All of this is then generalized to theories with multiple U(1)s. If time permits, we will also briefly report on our more recent 4-dimensional story.

Disconnected gauge groups have been, at least comparatively, very poorly studied. Yet they may hide very interesting Physics. Recently, a class of gauge theories based on a particular type of disconnected gauge groups, namely principal extensions, has been introduced. Interestingly, such theories naturally implement the gauging of charge conjugation. In this talk, we will describe such construction and study aspects of its Physics. A particularly spectacular by-product of the construction is that these theories have non-freely generated Coulomb branches, thus providing the first counterexample of the long standing standard lore that Coulomb branch are all freely generated.

String theory predicts its own gravity rather than GR. In General Relativity the metric is the only geometric and gravitational field, whereas in string theory the closed-string massless sector comprises a skew-symmetric B-field and the string dilaton in addition to the metric. Furthermore, these three fields transform into each other under T-duality. This hints at a natural augmentation of GR: upon treating the whole closed string massless sector as stringy graviton fields, Double Field Theory may evolve into `Stringy Gravity'. Equipped with an O(D,D) covariant differential geometry beyond Riemann, we spell out the definitions of the stringy Einstein curvature tensor and the stringy Energy-Momentum tensor. Equating them, all the equations of motion of the closed string massless sector are unified into a single expression which we dub the Einstein Double Field Equations.

The topological string is a simplified version of physical string theory. It is of interest because it computes the BPS spectrum of relevant string theory compactifications, but also because it shares structural properties of physical string theory, Dualities and symmetries which often must be argued for arduously in the physical string can often be verified by computation in the topological setting. The central observable of the theory is the topological string partition function Z_top. This quantity has an eerie habit of making surprise appearances in many areas of mathematical physics. Numerous techniques exist for its computation in various expansions in parameters of the theory, yet to date, no satisfactory closed form for this quantity is known. In this talk, after reviewing notions of topological string theory with an emphasis on the interplay between worldsheet and target space physics (one of the structural similarities between the physical and the topological string alluded to above), I will report on progress in computing Z_top in settings where it is related to enigmatic 6d theories.

I will start by sketching the computation of the topologically twisted index on H2xS1 and its evaluation in ABJM theory in the large N limit with k=1. Then after, I will review the key points behind the construction of magnetically charged (hyperbolic) AdS4 black holes on STU gauged SUGRA and will conclude by stating how the aformentioned index -- upon extremization -- coincides with the entropy of the latter black holes in the large N limit (with k=1).

In this talk, I will discuss about the holography of boundary Conformal Field theory. I will show how boundary Weyl Anomaly can be obtained from holography. New universal relations between the shape dependence of Casimir effects and boundary Weyl anomaly will also be pointed out and discussed from the point of view of holography.

I will report on joint work with Andrea Santi outlining an algebraic reformulation of the classification problem of eleven-dimensional supergravity backgrounds. The basic object of study is the Killing superalgebra of the background, whose algebraic structure has recently been elucidated. If time permits I will also comment on work also involving Paul de Medeiros applying these techniques to the construction of rigidly supersymmetric theories in curved spaces.

29 August - 3 September, King's College London.

This workshop intends to bring together leading experts and young researchers working on the broad themes of quantum field theory, black holes and gravitation, and holography, so as to share new ideas, calculations, and results in a focused setting.

The topics covered in the workshop include:

• Symmetries and dualities in field theory and gravity
• Classical and quantum aspects of black holes
• Supersymmetric localization and exact results
• Mathematical aspects of string theory
• Supergravity solutions and holography

In this talk, I will discuss Type IIA brane configurations consisting of D4-branes suspended between NS5-branes which represent a large class of 2d (0,2) quiver gauge theories. We call these new constructions Brane Brick models. These are T-dual to D1-branes over singular toric Calabi-Yau 4-folds and encode information about the probed Calabi-Yau geometry as well as the corresponding GLSM. If time permits, I will present how Brane Brick models naturally realise in terms of a brane configuration 2d (0,2) Gadde-Gukov-Putrov triality.

We establish a precise correspondence between the ABC Conjecture and N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory. This is achieved by combining three ingredients: (i) Elkies' method of mapping ABC-triples to elliptic curves in his demonstration that ABC implies Mordell/Faltings; (ii) an explicit pair of elliptic curve and associated Belyi map given by Khadjavi-Scharaschkin; and (iii) the fact that the bipartite brane-tiling/dimer model for a gauge theory with toric moduli space is a particular dessin d'enfant in the sense of Grothendieck. We explore this correspondence for the highest quality ABC-triples as well as large samples of random triples. The Conjecture itself is mapped to a statement about the fundamental domain of the toroidal compactification of the string realization of N=4 SYM.

We study the web of correspondences linking the exceptional Lie algebras E8,7,6 and the sporadic simple groups Monster, Baby and the largest Fischer group. We will survey some old observations from the perspective of Moonshine and representation theory and present some new ones from that of congruence groups and enumerative geometry. Based on joint work with John McKay.

5d theories can be at fixed points, in many cases exhibiting rather amusing properties. In this talk we will study several properties of these fixed point theories. In particular, we will describe how to put them supersymmetrically in curved spaces. As a consequence, we will discuss when a deformation to a Yang-Mills theory is possible. The latter typically exhibit a smaller global symmetry that that of the fixed point theory, which, from the YM point of view, appears as an enhanced symmetry. In this enhancement instantons play a pivotal role, and we will discuss several aspects of these.

Counting operators in supersymmetric field theories is very interesting, as the corresponding generating functions encode properties of the field theory. In this lecture we will mostly concentrate on 4d SUSY field theories. After reviewing some basic notions about SUSY field theories leading to the notion of chiral ring, we will introduce a generating function enumerating operators in the ring. This function is the so-called Hilbert series. In the case of SCFTs with a gravity dual, we will show how this function recovers geometric properties of the dual gravity background. The uses of the Hilbert series go beyond this, since, as we will see, being a counting of operators, it is of relevance in the computation of instanton partition functions for pure gauge theories. In the second part of the lecture we will briefly touch upon these issues.

We study the general formulation of gauged supergravity in seven dimensions with sixteen supercharges keeping duality covariance by means of the embedding tensor formalism. We first classify all inequivalent duality orbits of consistent deformations. Secondly, we analyse the complete set of critical points in a systematic way. Interestingly, we find the first examples of stable de Sitter solutions within a theory with such a large amount of supersymmetry.

Physical systems with unexpected, or `hidden,’ symmetries have often played an important role in physics, beginning with the classical Kepler problem whose Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector ensures the closure of planetary orbits, and degeneracies of the Hydrogen spectrum. I will describe how precisely the same symmetry governs a unique four-dimensional quantum field theory, a maximally supersymmetric (`N=4') cousin of the strong-interaction Yang-Mills theory. After reviewing progress in recent years in using these symmetries to solve this model, I will describe novel applications involving massive particles. Combining the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector with relativity then yields a novel way to calculate the spectrum of its Hydrogen-like bound states, including relativistic corrections. Based on 1408.0296.

Inspired by the multiplicative nature of the Ramanujan modular discriminant, Delta, we consider physical realizations of certain multiplicative products over the Dedekind eta-function in two parallel directions: the generating function of BPS states in certain heterotic orbifolds and elliptic K3 surfaces associated to congruence subgroups of the modular group. We show that they are, after string duality to type II, the same K3 surfaces admitting Nikulin automorphisms. In due course, we will present some identities arising from q-expansions as well as relations to the sporadic Mathieu group M24.