From M-theory to F-theory, with Branes

Abstract

A duality relationship between certain brane configurations in type IIA and type IIB string theory is explored by exploiting the geometrical origins of each theory in M-theory. The configurations are dual ways of realising the non-perturbative dynamics of a four dimensional N=2 supersymmetric SU(2) gauge theory with four or fewer favours of fermions in the fundamental, and the spectral curve which organizes these dynamics plays a prominent role in each case. This is an illustration of how non-trivial F-theory backgrounds follow from M-theory ones, hopefully demystifying somewhat the origins of the former.

20 pages, harvmac.tex (b), epsf.tex for decoration (Two references added. Fixed a few comments.)

References in corpus (3)

• Type IIB Superstrings, BPS Monopoles, And Three-Dimensional Gauge Dynamics
• Branes and N=1 Duality in String Theory
• Orientifolds, Branes, and Duality of 4D Gauge Theories

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Gauge Theory and the Excision of Repulson Singularities
• Confinement and Strings in MQCD
• Multiscale N=2 SUSY field theories, integrable systems and their stringy/brane origin -- I
• Towards Mass Deformed N=4 SO(n) and Sp(k) gauge configurations
• M Theory, Type IIA String and 4D N=1 SUSY SU(N_L) X SU(N_R) Gauge Theory
• Branes, Geometry and N=1 Duality with Product Gauge Groups of SO and Sp
• M Theory Fivebrane and Confining Phase of N=1 $SO(N_c)$ Gauge Theories
• Sp(N_c) Gauge Theories and M Theory Fivebrane
• Anyonic Defect Branes and Conformal Blocks in Twisted Equivariant Differential (TED) K-theory
• M-Theory Versus F-Theory Pictures of the Heterotic String