Mathieu Moonshine

par Prof. Anne TAORMINA (Durham University & IHES)

vendredi 1 avr. 2016, 10:45 → 11:45 Europe/Paris

Amphithéâtre Léon Motchane (IHES)

I shall give a brief introduction to Mathieu Moonshine, an observation made in 2010 in the context of string theory compactified on a K3 surface and whose significance in string theory remains elusive. Attempts to understand the mathematical structure behind this observation have included techniques from Number Theory, Group Theory and Geometry. I will discuss how geometry provides an interesting angle when attempting to explain the presence of the huge Mathieu 24 discrete symmetry in string theories compactified on a K3 surface.