Introduction to String Theory - 2021/22

This course is an introduction to string theory, our foremost theory of quantum gravity which also gives rise to gauge theories, as we will see. The course will cover bosonic string theory, in particular:

- Classical bosonic string theory
- Light-cone quantisation
- Introduction to conformal field theory
- Path Integral quantisation
- String interactions
- Low-energy effective actions

The lectures will largely follow the online lecture notes on String Theory by David Tong (http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/tong/string/string.pdf).

Requirements: Master's courses in GR & QFT, at least in parallel with this course.

Lecture schedule: The first lecture will take place on Tuesday, October 19th, 11am-1pm. The first tutorial will take place on Friday, October 22nd, 11am-1pm. Subsequently, lectures will take place

• every Tuesday 11am-1pm
  

• on alternating Fridays 11am-1pm (i.e. October 29th, November 12th, etc.)

Tutorials will take place

• on alternating Fridays 11am-1pm (i.e. October 22nd, November 5th, etc.).