The space of holographic CFTs

Eric Perlmutter (IPhT)

2023-03-10 10:15, Videoconference and in person in Salle Itzykson, IPhT
2023-03-17 10:15, Videoconference and in person in Salle Itzykson, IPhT
2023-03-24 10:15, Videoconference and in person in Salle Itzykson, IPhT
2023-03-29 10:15, Videoconference and in person in Salle Itzykson, IPhT
2023-03-31 10:15, Videoconference and in person in Salle Itzykson, IPhT
Abstract: 

This course will provide a modern point of view on the wide world of large $N$ conformal field theory (CFT) in diverse spacetime dimensions, placed in the context of the conformal bootstrap and the AdS/CFT Correspondence.

Some questions we will tackle:

  • What is a ``Holographic CFT''?
  • When does a CFT give rise to an equivalent, emergent simple gravity description?
  • What is the conformal bootstrap, and how is it used to constrain and classify the space of consistent large $N$ CFTs and theories of quantum gravity?
  • Is string theory the only choice? How can we detect strings and extra dimensions from properties of field theories?
  • What precise predictions does quantum gravity seem to make about the space of strongly coupled CFTs?

Provisional lecture plan:

Lectures I-II: Introducing CFTs and their data, large $N$ conformal bootstrap, AdS/CFT, and the notion of ``Holographic CFT''

Lecture III: Correlation functions and holography

Lecture IV: Bootstrapping the space of Holographic CFTs

Lecture V: Special focus: Two-dimensional CFTs and AdS$_3$ gravity

Series: 
IPhT Courses
Short course title: 
Holo-CFTs
Arxiv classes: