Topic schedule pre-break

20080109: organizational meeting [Zwiebach Chapter 1]

20080111: modern high-energy theory, unification, and physical motivations for string theory; classical and quantum physics of relativistic point particles; [Zwiebach Chapters 2,3,5]

20080116: classical non-relativistic string theory; classical relativistic string theory and the Nambu-Goto action [Zwiebach Chapters 4,6]

20080118: reparametrization invariance; relativistic string equations of motion; consistent boundary conditions (i) Free-Endpoint (ii) Dirichlet, and D-branes; the Static Gauge; how open string endpoints move [Zwiebach Chapter 6]

20080123: reparametrization invariance and choosing worldsheet coordinates; worldsheet wave equation and constraints and their physical interpretation; general open string motion and the specific case of the rigid rotator [Zwiebach Chapter 7]

20080125: worldsheet symmetry currents; Lorentz symmetry and conserved quantum numbers [Zwiebach Chapter 8]

20080130: Light-front gauge; relativistic string dynamics in LF gauge and the constraint equations; Virasoro modes; string oscillator mode expansions [Zwiebach Chapter 9]

20080201: quantization of fields of spins 0,1,2 in LF gauge [Zwiebach Chapter 10]

20080206: first quantization of relativistic particle in LF gauge: Heisenberg vs. Schrodinger operators; Hamiltonian; matching up particle with field states; Poincare symmetry generators in LF gauge [Zwiebach Chapter 11]

20080208: first quantization of relativistic open string in LF gauge: Algebra of Virasoro symmetry generators; role of oscillators [Zwiebach Chapter 12]

20080213: quantum critical dimension and zero-point energy; constructing the open string quantum state space [Zwiebach Chapter 12]

20080215: Constructing the closed string quantum state space; Superstrings: worldsheet fermions, NS and R sectors, GSO projection [Zwiebach Chapter 13]

[reading week: no classes]