What is String Theory?
by Joseph Polchinski
Publisher: arXiv 1994
Number of pages: 154
Description:
The first part is an introduction to conformal field theory and string perturbation theory. The second part deals with the search for a deeper answer to the question posed in the title. Contents: Conformal Field Theory; String Theory; Vacua and Dualities; String Field Theory or Not String Field Theory; Matrix Models.
Download or read it online for free here:
Download link
(1.1MB, PDF)
Similar books
Lectures on String Theoryby Gleb Arutyunov - Utrecht University
The text covers the basic concepts of modern string theory: covariant and light-cone quantisation of bosonic and fermionic strings, geometry and topology of string world-sheets, vertex operators and string scattering amplitudes, etc.
(5641 views)
An Introduction to String Theoryby James Bedford - arXiv
An introduction to string theory, focusing on the Bosonic string, but treating the superstring as well. A number of appendices on more advanced topics are also provided, including an introduction to orientifolds in various brane configurations.
(5615 views)
String Theoryby Neil Lambert - King's College London
From the table of contents: Introduction: Why String Theory?; Classical and Quantum Dynamics of Point Particles; Classical and Quantum Dynamics of Strings; Light-cone gauge; Curved Spacetime and an Effective Action; Superstrings.
(4860 views)
An Introduction to Non-perturbative String Theoryby Ashoke Sen - arXiv
Basic aspects of non-perturbative string theory are discussed. The topics include test of duality symmetries based on the analysis of the low energy action and the spectrum of BPS states, relationship between different duality symmetries, etc.
(5153 views)