Postgraduate Studentship

Vacancy Reference:  BK/13/005

Applications are invited for a D.Phil. studentship, funded by the Royal Society, to work on “Exploring mathematics using string theory: from the quantization of higher Teichmuller spaces to partition functions of superconformal gauge theories” under the supervision of Dr Lotte Hollands. This D.Phil. studentship will start on 1 October 2013, and will be based at the Mathematics Institute of Oxford University. The studentship includes a standard stipend (currently £13,590 per annum), and College and University fees at the UK/EU rate. Overseas students (non EU) may also apply for the studentship, but some way would have to be found to make up the difference between Home/EU fees and Overseas fees.

Gauge theories have had tremendous success in bridging the gap between mathematics and physics. Theories with an additional symmetry called supersymmetry are especially rich in this respect and connect physics to many beautiful branches of mathematics. The last few years have seen the emergence of a unified picture by embedding supersymmetric gauge theories into string theory, a promising approach to combine all four fundamental forces. In string theory one can regard gauge theories as higher-dimensional configurations of so-called D-branes. This view leads to an intricate net of relationships among field theories in various regimes of the coupling constants. In this project we will study such dualities between low dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories and systems that are not supersymmetric. Examples of the latter include conformal field theories, Chern-Simons theories, topological string theory, matrix models and integrable systems. This project in particular focuses on aspects of the quantization of higher Teichmuller space and its relation to partition functions for four-dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories. 

Applications should be made online at www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate_courses via the Apply button below and should include a CV, covering letter, three references and a transcript of your undergraduate degree. If you are unable to apply online, you can request a paper form from https://uni-of-oxford.custhelp.com/app/ask/.

Applications must arrive by 12 noon on Tuesday 7 May 2013. Please quote the correct reference BK/13/005 in your covering letter. References can also be sent directly to Sandy Patel (email graduate.studies@maths.ox.ac.uk) by the closing date. For further details of the projects, including the application process, please see:www.maths.ox.ac.uk/notices/vacancies."