Date/Time
31 January 2027 - 5 February 2027
Organized by
Samson Shatashvili (Trinity College), Julian Sonner (UNIGE), Erik Verlinde (U. of Amsterdam)
Event page & registration
https://indico.global/event/17128/
Description
Historically the fields of Theoretical Physics and Mathematics have benefittedenormously from the mutual exchange of ideas and methods. Insights fromquantum field theory and string theory gave rise to entire new fields in mathematics, while mathematical advances in geometry and algebra have increasingly important applications in theoretical physics. Recent examples are the application of von Neumann algebras to study and connect the emergent bulk physics with the microscopic quantum description of holographic theories of quantum gravity, and the important role of mathematical fields of geometry and topology in the study of the gravitational path integral.
The microscopic nature of spacetime in quantum gravity remains one of the most fruitful and fascinating research questions in theoretical physics. It is essential to both build appropriate mathematical structures and techniques, and to develop the physical and conceptual underpinnings of “quantum geometry” in this sense. An ideal laboratory for both of these aims is given by the so-called “holographic” or “AdS/CFT”dualities relating quantum field theory (without gravity) and quantum gravity. The general context of this conference is given by such holographic dualities, but the overall aim is to develop and extract more general lessons for spacetime geometry from this theoretical laboratory.
Location
SwissMAP Research Station, Les Diablerets, Switzerland
