Gauge/Gravity Duality

Gauge/gravity duality creates new links between quantum theory and gravity. It has led to new concepts in mathematics and physics, and provides new tools to solve problems in many areas of theoretical physics. This book is the first textbook on this important topic, enabling graduate students and researchers in string theory and particle, nuclear and condensed matter physics to get acquainted with the subject. Focusing on the fundamental aspects as well as on the applications, this textbook guides readers through a thorough explanation of the central concepts of gauge/gravity duality. For the AdS/CFT correspondence, it explains in detail how string theory provides the conjectured map. Generalisations to less symmetric cases of gauge/gravity duality and their applications are then presented, in particular to finite temperature and density, hydrodynamics, QCD-like theories, the quark-gluon plasma and condensed matter systems. The textbook features a large number of exercises, with solutions available online at www.cambridge.org/9781107010345. 'An excellent introduction to the gauge/gravity duality and its main applications. A valuable guide both for graduate students and experienced researchers.' Juan Maldacena, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton 'This clear and precise book should be very helpful to any student or researcher that is interested in the gauge/gravity correspondence and its field theory applications.' Ofer Aharony, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 'A well-structured and illustrated introduction ... and an in depth and up-to-date discussion of all the essential features of the gauge/gravity correspondence.' Andreas Karch, University of Washington, Seattle 'Written by experts in the field, this book is remarkable for its broad survey of one of the most cutting-edge topics in theoretical physics of the past ten years.' Nick Evans, University of SouthamptonPart I. Prerequisites: 1. Elements of field theory; 2. Elements of gravity; 3. Symmetries in quantum field theory; 4. Introduction to superstring theory; Part II. Gauge/Gravity Duality: 5. AdS/CFT correspondence; 6. Tests of the AdS/CFT correspondence; 7. Integrability and scattering amplitudes; 8. Further examples of AdS/CFT; 9. Holographic renormalisation group flows; 10. Duality with D-branes in supergravity; 11. Finite temperature and density; Part III. Applications: 12. Linear response and hydrodynamics; 13. QCD and holography: confinement and chiral symmetry breaking; 14. QCD and holography: finite temperature and density; 15. Strongly coupled condensed matter systems; Appendixes; References; Index.