Physics Department Senior Design Project Proposal Project Mentor: Alex Flournoy, 303-273-3712,
[email protected] (Name, phone, email) Project Title: The AdS/CFT correspondence – A Tool from String Theory Project Type: [ ] Team; Number of students__1___ [ X] Honors Objective (What is the science and/or engineering in this project?) The AdS/CFT correspondence is perhaps one of the most useful results to arise from String Theory since its discovery. Questions about the role of String Theory as a “fundamental theory” aside, this particular result, relating calculations in non-gravitational field theory to purely gravitational calculations, promises to bridge the fields of high-energy/gravitational and condensed-matter physics in an unprecedented manner. It is the opinion of many in the field that this result serves as the basis for the future of research in String Theory as a “tool” for computation. A student who can grasp even the basic notions behind this correspondence will be in an advantageous position to enter particle/gravitational/condensed-matter studies/research with a unique and powerful perspective. Of course a proper understanding of this result requires an extensive background in advanced general relativity, particle physics, string theory and the mathematics of conformal field theory. This can render the correspondence a prohibitive tool to consider for even for expert theorists if they do not have a broad enough background. A clean presentation of the correspondence that would be suitable for implementation by theorists without the full background is lacking. Constructing such a presentation and a “manual” for the use of the tool is the chief goal of this senior design project.