String Theory for Undergraduates

This course will concentrate on String Theory. It will be given at introductory/intermediate level with some review of the background material. Topics covered will include dynamical systems, symmetries and Noether’s Theorem; nonrelativistic strings; relativistic systems (particle and string); quantization, gauge fixing, Feynman’s sum over paths; electrostatic analogy; string in curved space-time; and supersymmetry. Some advanced topics will also be addressed, i.e., D-Branes and M-Theory. Recommended prerequisites: PHYS 0470 and 0500 , or 0160 .