M-Theory (the Theory Formerly Known as Strings)

M. J. Duff

doi:10.1142/S0217751X96002583

paper

M-Theory (the Theory Formerly Known as Strings)

arXiv:hep-th/9608117 · doi:10.1142/S0217751X96002583

Abstract

Superunification underwent a major paradigm shift in 1984 when eleven-dimensional supergravity was knocked off its pedestal by ten-dimensional superstrings. This last year has witnessed a new shift of equal proportions: perturbative ten-dimensional superstrings have in their turn been superseded by a new non-perturbative theory called {\it $M$ -theory}, which describes supermembranes and superfivebranes, which subsumes all five consistent string theories and whose low energy limit is, ironically, eleven-dimensional supergravity. In particular, six-dimensional string/string duality follows from membrane/fivebrane duality by compactifying $M$ -theory on $S^{1} / Z_{2} \times K 3$ (heterotic/heterotic duality) or $S^{1} \times K 3$ (Type $I I A$ /heterotic duality) or $S^{1} / Z_{2} \times T^{4}$ (heterotic/Type $I I A$ duality) or $S^{1} \times T^{4}$ (Type $I I A$ /Type $I I A$ duality).

Version to appear in I.J.M.P.A. References added; typographical errors corrected; 25 pages Latex

M-Theory (the Theory Formerly Known as Strings)

Abstract

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