String Theory seminar - Carl Turner Seminar

Abstract: I will try and clarify the surprisingly obscure story underlying some of the simplest non-trivial dualities in theoretical physics: the self-duality of the Ising CFT, and bosonization, both in 2d. We will begin by understanding the basics of Z_2 gauge theory and spin connections, and then using this technology to explain some important, oft-overlooked subtleties in these stories. I will finish by presenting a simple but elegant duality web in two dimensions.