Contents:Black Hole Evaporation and Quantum Gravity (K Schoutens et al.)A String Project in Multicolor QCD (V Kazakov)Matrix Models and String Theory (K Demeterfi & I Klebanov)Developments in 2D String Theory (A Jevicki)Exact Results for Two-Dimensional N = 2 Supersymmetric Theories — An Introduction to the tt∗ Equations (S Cecotti)Perturbative Topological Field Theory (R Dijkgraaf)Barriers in Quantum Gravity (J Ambjørn)Two-Dimensional Black Hole and Nonperturbative String Theory (A Dhar)U(N) Gauge Theory and Lattice Strings (I K Kostov)Quantization of Mirror Symmetry (H Ooguri)W-Strings 93 (C N Pope)Applications of O(d,d) Transformations to Generate New Geometries (S P Khastgir & J Maharana) Readership: High energy physicists. keywords:

The 1993 TVieste Spring School on String Theory, Gauge Theory and Quantum Gravity tried to give a representative cross-section of the fundamental problems facing present-day theoretical high-energy physics with particular attention to three main areas: (1) quantum gravity and black holes, (2) strongly interacting gauge fields, and of course (3) string theory. Each of these areas have great potential implications to our understanding of fundamental physics. They also have a reputation of presenting long-standing, difficult and perhaps unsolvable problems. In this respect it is comforting to see reflected in the proceedings of this school that considerable conceptual progress can still be made, mainly by considering simpler, lower dimensional models

String theory is a model of fundamental physics whose building blocks are one-dimensional extended objects called strings, rather than the zero-dimensional point particles that form the basis for the standard model of particle physics. The phrase is often used as shorthand for Superstring theory, as well as related theories such as M-theory. By replacing the point-like particles with strings, an apparently consistent quantum theory of gravity emerges. Moreover, it may be possible to 'unify' the known natural forces (gravitational, electromagnetic, weak nuclear and strong nuclear) by describing them with the same set of equations. Studies of string theory have revealed that it predicts higher-dimensional objects called branes. String theory strongly suggests the existence of ten or eleven (in M-theory) space-time dimensions, as opposed to the usual four (three spatial and one temporal) used in relativity theory.

Contents:Ising Model and N = 2 Supersymmetric Theories (S Cecotti & C Vafa)The Dark Side of String Theory: Black Holes and Black Strings (G T Horowitz)Some Recent Developments in Closed String Field Theory (A Sen) Quantum Aspects of Black Holes (J A Harvey & A Strominger)The One Dimensional Matrix Model and String Theory (S R Das)Gravity and Gauge Theory at High Energies (H Verlinde)Notes on N = 2 σ-Models (J Distler)The W Geometry of Chiral Surfaces in Complex Projective Spaces (J-L Gervals)On Physical States in 2d (Topological) Gravity (P Bouwknegt et al)Dynamics of the Conformal Factor in 4D Gravity (I Antoniadis)Non-Relativistic Fermions, Coadjoint Orbits of W8 and String Field Theory at c = 1 (A Dhar et al)Simplicial Quantum Gravity (J Ambjørn et al)Gravitational Scattering at Planckian Energies: The Eikonal and Beyond (D Amati)A Proposal for D > 1 Strings? (L Alvarez-Gaumé & J L F Barbón)Differential Equations in Special Kähler Geometry (J Louis)N = 2 First Order Systems: Landau-Ginzburg Potentials and Topological Twist (P Fre & P Soriani) Readership: High energy physicists. keywords: