String theory provides a framework for ultraviolet complete theories of quantum gravity, which is capable to describe most ingredients of phenomenologically realistic models of particle physics, such as the standard model and its numerous extensions. Similarly, progress has been made to describe aspects of cosmology within string theory.
The formulation of such an overarching theory remains challenging. It necessarily demands many tools in mathematics, which are often not even developed yet. Therefore progress in string theory is tied to advances in mathematics.
Our research group focuses on mathematical physics with an emphasis on string and field theories. Apart from studying the underlying mathematical structures of string theory and their physical consequences, we also aim at finding novel applications in mathematics motivated from physics. Some of the research topics pursued in our research group include:
- String compactifications and their low energy effective descriptions
- Exact computations in supersymmetric field theories and their implications in physics and mathematics
- Topological string theories and their applications in mathematics
- Non-perturbative effects in string theories and in (supersymmetric) field theories
- Branes in (super-)string theories and (super-)gravity theories
- Conformal field theories in the context of string theories