A Large-N Reduced Model as Superstring

TL;DR

This paper proposes a large-N reduced matrix model with ten-dimensional super Poincare invariance, showing it reproduces the massless spectrum of type IIB string theory and suggesting it as a constructive definition of superstring theory.

Contribution

It introduces a large-N reduced model of super Yang-Mills theory that is conjectured to be equivalent to superstring theory, providing a new non-perturbative formulation.

Findings

Massless spectrum matches type IIB string theory

Model exhibits ten-dimensional super Poincare invariance

Conjecture of equivalence to superstring theory

Abstract

A matrix model which has the manifest ten-dimensional N=2 super Poincare invariance is proposed. Interactions between BPS-saturated states are analyzed to show that massless spectrum is the same as that of type IIB string theory. It is conjectured that the large-N reduced model of ten-dimensional super Yang-Mills theory can be regarded as a constructive definition of this model and therefore is equivalent to superstring theory.