An Introduction to Pure Spinor Superstring Theory

TL;DR

This paper introduces superstring theory focusing on the pure spinor formalism, covering foundational particles, superparticles, and computing a key scattering amplitude, providing a comprehensive overview for learners.

Contribution

It offers an accessible introduction to pure spinor superstring formalism, including explicit calculations of scattering amplitudes, which is a novel pedagogical approach.

Findings

Derived the tree-level three-graviton scattering amplitude.

Clarified the connection between particles, superparticles, and superstrings.

Presented an educational overview of pure spinor formalism.

Abstract

In these lecture notes presented at the 2015 Villa de Leyva Summer School, we give an introduction to superstring theory. We begin by studying the particle and superparticle in order to get a better understanding on the superstring side. Afterwards, we review the pure spinor formalism and end by computing the scattering amplitude for three gravitons at tree-level.