Strings, Branes and Dualities, 1999 Nato Science Series C: Series, Vol. 520

As recent developments have shown, supersymmetric quantum field theory and string theory are intimately related, with advances in one area often shedding light on the other. The organising ideas of most of these advances are the notion of duality and the physics of higher dimensional objects or p-branes.
The topics covered in the present volume include duality in field theory, in particular in supersymmetric field theory and supergravity, and in string theory. The Seiberg-Witten theory and its recent developments are also covered in detail. A large fraction of the volume is devoted to the current state of the art in M-theory, in particular its underlying superalgebra as well as its connection with superstring and N = 2 strings. The physics of D-branes and its essential role in the beautiful computation of the black hole entropy is also carefully covered. Finally, the last two sets of lectures are devoted to the exciting matrix approach to non-perturbative string theory.

I Lectures.- Exact Electromagnetic Duality.- Supersymmetry and Dualities in Various Dimensions.- Seiberg-Witten Theory and S-Duality.- Dualities in the Classical Supergravity Limits.- M-Theory from Its Superalgebra.- Lectures on Heterotic-Type I Duality.- Connections Between M-Theory and Superstrings.- Black Holes and D-Branes.- M-Theory and N = 2 Strings.- Branes Within Branes.- Review of Matrix Theory.- Notes on Matrix and Micro Strings.- II Seminars.- Testing Seiberg-Witten Solution.- Mirrors and Phases of N=4 IN D=3.- Intersection Rules and Open Branes.- How to Count the States of Extremal Black Holes in N = 8 Supergravity.- Aspects of D-Instantons.- Some Classical Solutions of Membrane Matrix Model Equations.- III Gong Show.- D-Brane Actions, Intrinsic Geometry and Duality.- Branes and Chiral Symmetry.- Regularisation of Classical Self Interaction in Strings.- D-Brane Bound States.- Special Kähler geometry.- Compactification of M-Theory and Susy Breaking.- Threebranes in Twelve Dimensions.- String Solitons and Dimensional Reduction.- BPS Saturated Amplitudes and Non-Perturbative String Theory.- On Domain Wall in MQCD.- Kids Walking on a D-Brane.- List of Speakers.- List of Participants.