Suresh Govindarajan

Bio: Suresh Govindarajan is an academic researcher from Indian Institute of Technology Madras. The author has contributed to research in topics: Superpotential & Siegel modular form. The author has an hindex of 21, co-authored 130 publications receiving 1500 citations. Previous affiliations of Suresh Govindarajan include University of Pennsylvania & Indian Institutes of Technology.

Generalized Kac-Moody algebras from CHL dyons

Abstract: We provide evidence for the existence of a family of generalized Kac-Moody (GKM) superalgebras, N, whose Weyl-Kac-Borcherds denominator formula gives rise to a genus-two modular form at level N, Δk/2(Z), for (N, k) = (1, 10), (2, 6), (3, 4), and possibly (5, 2). The square of the automorphic form is the modular transform of the generating function of the degeneracy of CHL dyons in asymmetric N-orbifolds of the heterotic string compactified on T6. The new generalized Kac-Moody superalgebras all arise as different `automorphic corrections' of the same Lie algebra and are closely related to a generalized Kac-Moody superalgebra constructed by Gritsenko and Nikulin. The automorphic forms, Δk/2(Z), arise as additive lifts of Jacobi forms of (integral) weight k/2 and index 1/2. We note that the orbifolding acts on the imaginary simple roots of the unorbifolded GKM superalgebra, 1, leaving the real simple roots untouched. We anticipate that these superalgebras will play a role in understanding the `algebra of BPS states' in CHL compactifications.

The Topological Vertex

Abstract: We construct a cubic field theory which provides all genus amplitudes of the topological A-model for all non-compact toric Calabi-Yau threefolds. The topology of a given Feynman diagram encodes the topology of a fixed Calabi-Yau, with Schwinger parameters playing the role of Kahler classes of the threefold. We interpret this result as an operatorial computation of the amplitudes in the B-model mirror which is the quantum Kodaira-Spencer theory. The only degree of freedom of this theory is an unconventional chiral scalar on a Riemann surface. In this setup we identify the B-branes on the mirror Riemann surface as fermions related to the chiral boson by bosonization.

Moduli spaces of local systems and higher Teichmüller theory

Abstract: Let G be a split semisimple algebraic group over Q with trivial center. Let S be a compact oriented surface, with or without boundary. We define positive representations of the fundamental group of S to G(R), construct explicitly all positive representations, and prove that they are faithful, discrete, and positive hyperbolic; the moduli space of positive representations is a topologically trivial open domain in the space of all representations. When S have holes, we defined two moduli spaces closely related to the moduli spaces of G-local systems on S. We show that they carry a lot of interesting structures. In particular we define a distinguished collection of coordinate systems, equivariant under the action of the mapping class group of S. We prove that their transition functions are subtraction free. Thus we have positive structures on these moduli spaces. Therefore we can take their points with values in any positive semifield. Their positive real points provide the two higher Teichmuller spaces related to G and S, while the points with values in the tropical semifields provide the lamination spaces. We define the motivic avatar of the Weil–Petersson form for one of these spaces. It is related to the motivic dilogarithm.

The statistics of string/M theory vacua

Abstract: We discuss systematic approaches to the classification of string/M theory vacua, and physical questions this might help us resolve. To this end, we initiate the study of ensembles of effective Lagrangians, which can be used to precisely study the predictive power of string theory, and in simple examples can lead to universality results. Using these ideas, we outline an approach to estimating the number of vacua of string/M theory which can realize the Standard Model.