Simons Center for Geometry and Physics Workshop on String Field Theory 2009:

March 23-27, 2009

Stony Brook University

String Field Theory has been an active area of research for the past several years. There have been important technical advances, especially in the construction of classical solutions of open string field theory. This Workshop aims to evaluate recent progress and outline the main open challenges. Can string field theory lead to a complete non-perturbative formulation of string theory?

String field theory has also interconnections with many areas of modern mathematics -- the moduli space of Riemann surfaces, non-commutative geometry, operads, homotopy associative and homotopy Lie algebras, to name just a few. More connections surely await to be discovered. A long-standing problem has been a lack of a precise definition of the allowed space of string functionals. To fulfill the Simons Center's mission, we are bringing together leading experts from the string theory community and a few interested mathematicians.

(all talks in Math Common Room - Math Tower 4-125 unless otherwise stated)


Mar 23, 2009, Monday
9:15AM Coffee and refreshments
9:30AM Zwiebach String Field Theory: Progress and Challenges Abstract Notes* PDF
11:30AM Douglas Abstract Notes* PDF
2:30PM Schwarz Space and time in string field theory Abstract Notes* PDF
4:00PM Zwiebach Double field theory from closed strings on tori Abstract Notes* PDF
Mar 24, 2009, Tuesday
9:15AM Coffee and refreshments
9:30AM Getzler Topics in Closed String Field Theory Abstract Notes* PDF
11:30AM Rastelli Comments on the Open String C* Algebra Abstract Notes* PDF
2:30PM Huang Representations of vertex operator algebras, open-closed conformal field theories and string field theory Abstract Notes* PDF
4:00PM Shatashvili Background Independent String Field Theory: Overview and Open Questions Abstract Notes* PDF
Mar 25, 2009, Wednesday
9:15AM Coffee and refreshments
9:30AM Schnabl Abstract Notes* PDF
11:30AM Kiermaier Abstract Notes* PDF
2:30PM Erler Abstract Notes* PDF
4:00PM Ellwood Abstract Notes* PDF
Mar 26, 2009, Thursday
9:15AM Coffee and refreshments
9:30AM Berkovits Overview of Superstring Field Theory Abstract Notes* PDF
11:30AM Okawa The boundary state from open string fields Abstract Notes* PDF
2:30PM Siegel BRST: Particles vs. Strings Abstract Notes* PDF
4:00PM Abstract Notes* PDF
Mar 27, 2009, Friday
9:15AM Coffee and refreshments
9:30AM Moeller Light-like rolling in level truncation Abstract Notes* PDF
11:00AM Kroyter Abstract Notes* PDF
12:00-12:30PM Discussion