Quantum fields, strings, and physical mathematics

TL;DR

This paper reviews key developments in quantum field and string theory, highlighting their role in forming physical mathematics, and discusses specific topics like topological string theory and knots-quivers correspondence.

Contribution

It introduces the emerging field of physical mathematics derived from formal advances in quantum theories and illustrates it with recent topics like topological strings and knots-quivers.

Findings

Highlights formal developments in quantum field and string theory.

Connects these developments to the new field of physical mathematics.

Discusses specific examples such as topological string theory and knots-quivers correspondence.

Abstract

I briefly review several important formal theory developments in quantum field theory and string theory that were reported at ICHEP conferences in past decades, and explain how they underlie a new research area referred to as physical or quantum mathematics. To illustrate these ideas in some specific context, I discuss certain aspects of topological string theory and a recently discovered knots-quivers correspondence.