We show that the large-N limits of certainconformal field theories in various dimensions includein their Hilbert space a sector describing supergravityon the product of anti-de Sitter spacetimes, spheres, and other compact manifolds. This is shown bytaking some branes in the full M/string theory and thentaking a low-energy limit where the field theory on thebrane decouples from the bulk. We observe that, in this limit, we can still trust thenear-horizon geometry for large N. The enhancedsupersymmetries of the near-horizon geometry correspondto the extra supersymmetry generators present in thesuperconformal group (as opposed to just the super-Poincaregroup). The 't Hooft limit of 3 + 1 N = 4 super-Yang–Mills at the conformal pointis shown to contain strings: they are IIB strings. Weconjecture that compactifications of M/string theory on various anti-de Sitterspacetimes is dual to various conformal field theories.This leads to a new proposal for a definition ofM-theory which could be extended to include fivenoncompact dimensions.

https://www.intlpress.com/site/pub/files/_fulltext/journals/atmp/1998/0002/0002/ATMP-1998-0002-0002-a001.pdf

The Large N limit of superconformal field theories and supergravity

Recently, it has been proposed by Maldacena that large $N$ limits of certain conformal field theories in $d$ dimensions can be described in terms of supergravity (and string theory) on the product of $d+1$-dimensional $AdS$ space with a compact manifold. Here we elaborate on this idea and propose a precise correspondence between conformal field theory observables and those of supergravity: correlation functions in conformal field theory are given by the dependence of the supergravity action on the asymptotic behavior at infinity. In particular, dimensions of operators in conformal field theory are given by masses of particles in supergravity. As quantitative confirmation of this correspondence, we note that the Kaluza-Klein modes of Type IIB supergravity on $AdS_5\times {\bf S}^5$ match with the chiral operators of ${\cal N}=4$ super Yang-Mills theory in four dimensions. With some further assumptions, one can deduce a Hamiltonian version of the correspondence and show that the ${\cal N}=4$ theory has a large $N$ phase transition related to the thermodynamics of $AdS$ black holes.

/pdf/anti-de-sitter-space-and-holography-58a7vi1qn6.pdf

Anti De Sitter Space And Holography

Gauge Theory Correlators from Non-Critical String Theory

Recently, it has been proposed by Maldacena that large $N$ limits of certain conformal field theories in $d$ dimensions can be described in terms of supergravity (and string theory) on the product of $d+1$-dimensional $AdS$ space with a compact manifold. Here we elaborate on this idea and propose a precise correspondence between conformal field theory observables and those of supergravity: correlation functions in conformal field theory are given by the dependence of the supergravity action on the asymptotic behavior at infinity. In particular, dimensions of operators in conformal field theory are given by masses of particles in supergravity. As quantitative confirmation of this correspondence, we note that the Kaluza-Klein modes of Type IIB supergravity on $AdS_5\times {\bf S}^5$ match with the chiral operators of $\N=4$ super Yang-Mills theory in four dimensions. With some further assumptions, one can deduce a Hamiltonian version of the correspondence and show that the $\N=4$ theory has a large $N$ phase transition related to the thermodynamics of $AdS$ black holes.

Anti de sitter space and holography

http://inspirehep.net/record/499969/files/arXiv:hep-th_9905111.pdf

Large N Field Theories, String Theory and Gravity

Microscopic origin of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy

Vacuum configurations for superstrings

The Bekenstein-Hawking area-entropy relation $S_{BH}=A/4$ is derived for a class of five-dimensional extremal black holes in string theory by counting the degeneracy of BPS soliton bound states.

/pdf/microscopic-origin-of-the-bekenstein-hawking-entropy-4569e5j6ju.pdf

Microscopic Origin of the Bekenstein-Hawking Entropy

Mirror symmetry is T duality

A holographic duality is proposed relating quantum gravity on dSD (D-dimensional de Sitter space) to conformal field theory on a single SD−1 ((D-1)-sphere), in which bulk de Sitter correlators with points on the boundary are related to CFT correlators on the sphere, and points on + (the future boundary of dSD) are mapped to the antipodal points on SD−1 relative to those on − For the case of dS3, which is analyzed in some detail, the central charge of the CFT2 is computed in an analysis of the asymptotic symmetry group at ± This dS/CFT proposal is supported by the computation of correlation functions of a massive scalar field In general the dual CFT may be non-unitary and (if for example there are sufficently massive stable scalars) contain complex conformal weights We also consider the physical region − of dS3 corresponding to the causal past of a timelike observer, whose holographic dual lives on a plane rather than a sphere − can be foliated by asymptotically flat spacelike slices Time evolution along these slices is generated by L0+0, and is dual to scale transformations in the boundary CFT2

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1126-6708/2001/10/034/pdf

Andrew Strominger

Papers

Microscopic origin of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy

Vacuum configurations for superstrings

Microscopic Origin of the Bekenstein-Hawking Entropy

Mirror symmetry is T duality

The dS/CFT correspondence