22,225 research outputs found
Gravitational Billiards, Dualities and Hidden Symmetries
The purpose of this article is to highlight the fascinating, but only very
incompletely understood relation between Einstein's theory and its
generalizations on the one hand, and the theory of indefinite, and in
particular hyperbolic, Kac Moody algebras on the other. The elucidation of this
link could lead to yet another revolution in our understanding of Einstein's
theory and attempts to quantize it.Comment: 37 pages, invited contribution to the volume "100 years of relativity
spacetime structure: Einstein and beyond", ed. A. Ashteka
Extensions of supersymmetric spin systems
A discussion of supersymmetric spin systems is presented extending the results obtained in a recent paper (see ibid., vol.9, p.1497 (1976)). A two-dimensional model is given and gauge invariance is defined; the latter is shown to necessitate the introduction of further spin operators
On M-Theory
This contribution gives a personal view on recent attempts to find a unified
framework for non-perturbative string theories, with special emphasis on the
hidden symmetries of supergravity and their possible role in this endeavor. A
reformulation of supergravity with enlarged tangent space symmetry
SO(1,2) SO(16) is discussed from this perspective, as well as an
ansatz to construct yet further versions with SO(1,1) SO(16)
and possibly even SO(1,1) ISO(16) tangent space symmetry.
It is suggested that upon ``third quantization'', dimensionally reduced maximal
supergravity may have an equally important role to play in this unification as
the dimensionally reduced maximally supersymmetric Yang Mills
theory.Comment: 16 pages (Latex), contribution to the 31st Ahrenshoop International
Symposium on the Theory of Elementary Particles, Buckow, Germany, 2-6
September 1997, and the Discussion Meeting on Black Holes, Bangalore, India,
8-10 December 1997. Changes in section 4, minor corrections in previous
section
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