The open string Veneziano amplitude emerges as the unique tree-level completion of N=4 super Yang-Mills when supersymmetry, factorization, and positivity are imposed.
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The String Landscape and the Swampland
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Recent developments in string theory suggest that string theory landscape of vacua is vast. It is natural to ask if this landscape is as vast as allowed by consistent-looking effective field theories. We use universality ideas from string theory to suggest that this is not the case, and that the landscape is surrounded by an even more vast swampland of consistent-looking semiclassical effective field theories, which are actually inconsistent. Identification of the boundary of the landscape is a central question which is at the heart of the meaning of universality properties of consistent quantum gravitational theories. We propose certain finiteness criteria as one relevant factor in identifying this boundary (based on talks given at the Einstein Symposium in Alexandria, at the 2005 Simons Workshop in Mathematics and Physics, and the talk to have been presented at Strings 2005).
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Elastic positivity from a modified forward dispersion relation constrains the twelve dim-8 Wilson coefficients of the photon–dark-photon EFT to a spectrahedral cone, with hierarchies for non-forward mixed amplitudes and distinct loci for kinetic-mixing and dark-axion UV completions.
A mixed F- and D-term uplift in supergravity evades the Planckian lower bound on the R-axion decay constant, allowing it to be the QCD axion and dark matter.
The paper constructs arbitrary networks of 10d non-tachyonic heterotic string theories via cobordism-implied junctions and gives worldsheet realizations for graphs, higher-dimensional networks, and compact configurations with sectors on different spaces.
Explicit worldsheet constructions of 9d junctions joining several 10d string theories via generalized RG flow interpolations and closed tachyon condensation, providing dynamical realizations of multi-theory cobordisms.
Non-minimal three-point interactions induce negative one-loop running of Wilson coefficients in gravitational EFTs, yet graviton loops generate positive IR contributions that dominate the bounds after smearing if the species number is bounded.
In codimension-one warped compactifications with exponential potentials, the KK mass decay rate λ_KK is reduced by warping but still satisfies the Sharpened Distance Conjecture precisely when the higher-dimensional potential obeys the Strong de Sitter condition.
All integrable 2D Horndeski theories (and thus many regular black-hole metrics) arise as spherical reductions of pure d≥4 gravities, which the paper terms quasi-topological.
RG-improved black hole spacetimes with scale-dependent gravitational coupling are derived as vacuum solutions to 2D Horndeski master field equations, embedding prior works and exposing implementation discrepancies.
In N=2 SU quiver theories the large-N Hagedorn temperature depends only on quiver length for linear cases and equals that of N=4 SYM for holographic quivers, with a universal lower bound of 1/sqrt(2) on the exponential rate alpha of higher-spin current conservation.
Defines IR-finite amplitudes M_E that preserve analyticity and unitarity to derive positivity bounds on EFTs including electromagnetism and gravity in D=4.
Sharpened Dynamical Cobordism ties the allowed range of critical exponent δ to theory structure ξ, flagging obstructions from non-trivial cobordism charges that require new degrees of freedom.
Positivity of gravitational path integral inner products requires non-perturbative instabilities in axion wormholes that break shift symmetry, implying a sharp axion weak gravity conjecture with precise constants.
Optimal transport yields a generalized Wasserstein distance on field space, obtained from a WKB expansion of a Schrödinger equation and extended to dynamical gravity via the Wheeler-DeWitt equation in the ADM formalism.
Derives WGC bounds q/(m r+) ≥ 1/√2 (universal, parameters cancel) in dRGT gravity and q/(m r+) ≥ e^{-γ/2} in ModMax theory from CFT pole analysis, with relaxed forms when assumptions are dropped.
Imaginary wormholes and the IDB imply that towers of BPS EFT instantons generate infinitely many superpotential terms that break non-invertible axion shift symmetries in N=1 axiverse models.
Using weight polytopes of irreducible representations, a finite list of symmetric moduli spaces satisfies the SDC decay rates; most embed from an E8(8) EFT but three cannot be obtained from string or M-theory compactifications.
Tree-level gravitational scattering under the equivalence principle mandates single-particle states in all irreducible representations constructible from a single seed charge, with equal interaction strengths.
Proposes a refinement of the Swampland Cobordism Conjecture for duality groups, arguing that diverging commutator widths necessitate infinitely many duality defects to realize monodromies in 9d supergravity bordisms.
Six-dimensional primordial black holes with memory burden effects can survive as light dark matter in a two-extra-dimension model at the 10 TeV scale, producing high-multiplicity thermal events at future colliders.
Symmetry plus perturbative gravitational scattering consistency requires the abelian charge lattice to be completely populated by single-particle states for SU(N) with N≥3 and SO(N) with N≥5.
Five-dimensional rotating primordial black holes with initial masses above 10^10 grams survive to today and can account for all dark matter due to suppressed Hawking radiation and memory burden effects in the micron-scale dark dimension.
In asymptotically safe gravity, dimension-five couplings of ultralight scalar dark matter to gauge field strengths vanish and are not generated perturbatively.
Morse-Bott inequalities yield homology bounds and topology-change counts for generic cobordisms to nothing in string theory compactifications.
citing papers explorer
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String Theory from Maximal Supersymmetry
The open string Veneziano amplitude emerges as the unique tree-level completion of N=4 super Yang-Mills when supersymmetry, factorization, and positivity are imposed.
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The Positivity Geometry of Photon--Dark-Photon Effective Field Theories
Elastic positivity from a modified forward dispersion relation constrains the twelve dim-8 Wilson coefficients of the photon–dark-photon EFT to a spectrahedral cone, with hierarchies for non-forward mixed amplitudes and distinct loci for kinetic-mixing and dark-axion UV completions.
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An Intermediate Scale R-axion \& the QCD Axion
A mixed F- and D-term uplift in supergravity evades the Planckian lower bound on the R-axion decay constant, allowing it to be the QCD axion and dark matter.
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The Art of Networking: Networks of Trivalent 10d Heterotic Junctions
The paper constructs arbitrary networks of 10d non-tachyonic heterotic string theories via cobordism-implied junctions and gives worldsheet realizations for graphs, higher-dimensional networks, and compact configurations with sectors on different spaces.
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The Art of Branching: Cobordism Junctions of 10d String Theories
Explicit worldsheet constructions of 9d junctions joining several 10d string theories via generalized RG flow interpolations and closed tachyon condensation, providing dynamical realizations of multi-theory cobordisms.
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Negative running of gravitational positivity
Non-minimal three-point interactions induce negative one-loop running of Wilson coefficients in gravitational EFTs, yet graviton loops generate positive IR contributions that dominate the bounds after smearing if the species number is bounded.
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Alice in Warpland: KK modes, Warped Compactifications and the Swampland
In codimension-one warped compactifications with exponential potentials, the KK mass decay rate λ_KK is reduced by warping but still satisfies the Sharpened Distance Conjecture precisely when the higher-dimensional potential obeys the Strong de Sitter condition.
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All $2D$ generalised dilaton theories from $d\geq 4$ gravities
All integrable 2D Horndeski theories (and thus many regular black-hole metrics) arise as spherical reductions of pure d≥4 gravities, which the paper terms quasi-topological.
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Effective geometrodynamics for renormalization-group improved black-hole spacetimes in spherical symmetry
RG-improved black hole spacetimes with scale-dependent gravitational coupling are derived as vacuum solutions to 2D Horndeski master field equations, embedding prior works and exposing implementation discrepancies.
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The CFT Distance Conjecture and Tensionless String Limits in $\mathcal N=2$ Quiver Gauge Theories
In N=2 SU quiver theories the large-N Hagedorn temperature depends only on quiver length for linear cases and equals that of N=4 SYM for holographic quivers, with a universal lower bound of 1/sqrt(2) on the exponential rate alpha of higher-spin current conservation.
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Positivity with Long-Range Interactions
Defines IR-finite amplitudes M_E that preserve analyticity and unitarity to derive positivity bounds on EFTs including electromagnetism and gravity in D=4.
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Sharpened Dynamical Cobordism
Sharpened Dynamical Cobordism ties the allowed range of critical exponent δ to theory structure ξ, flagging obstructions from non-trivial cobordism charges that require new degrees of freedom.
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Positivity of the gravitational path integral implies the axionic weak gravity conjecture
Positivity of gravitational path integral inner products requires non-perturbative instabilities in axion wormholes that break shift symmetry, implying a sharp axion weak gravity conjecture with precise constants.
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Optimal paths across potentials on scalar field space
Optimal transport yields a generalized Wasserstein distance on field space, obtained from a WKB expansion of a Schrödinger equation and extended to dynamical gravity via the Wheeler-DeWitt equation in the ADM formalism.
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CFT Constraints on the Weak Gravity Conjecture
Derives WGC bounds q/(m r+) ≥ 1/√2 (universal, parameters cancel) in dRGT gravity and q/(m r+) ≥ e^{-γ/2} in ModMax theory from CFT pole analysis, with relaxed forms when assumptions are dropped.
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Non-invertible symmetries in the axiverse, and the imaginary wormholes
Imaginary wormholes and the IDB imply that towers of BPS EFT instantons generate infinitely many superpotential terms that break non-invertible axion shift symmetries in N=1 axiverse models.
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EFTs with Symmetric Moduli Spaces: the Landscape and the Swampland
Using weight polytopes of irreducible representations, a finite list of symmetric moduli spaces satisfies the SDC decay rates; most embed from an E8(8) EFT but three cannot be obtained from string or M-theory compactifications.
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The Equivalence Principle at High Energies Completes the Spectrum
Tree-level gravitational scattering under the equivalence principle mandates single-particle states in all irreducible representations constructible from a single seed charge, with equal interaction strengths.
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Bordisms between 9d type IIB supergravities and commutator widths of duality groups
Proposes a refinement of the Swampland Cobordism Conjecture for duality groups, arguing that diverging commutator widths necessitate infinitely many duality defects to realize monodromies in 9d supergravity bordisms.
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Micron-sized Extra Dimensions and Primordial Black Holes: Charged, Rotating, and Memory Burdened
Six-dimensional primordial black holes with memory burden effects can survive as light dark matter in a two-extra-dimension model at the 10 TeV scale, producing high-multiplicity thermal events at future colliders.
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Completeness from Gravitational Scattering
Symmetry plus perturbative gravitational scattering consistency requires the abelian charge lattice to be completely populated by single-particle states for SU(N) with N≥3 and SO(N) with N≥5.
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5D Rotating Black Holes as dark matter in Dark Dimension Scenario: Hawking Radiation versus the Memory Burden Effect
Five-dimensional rotating primordial black holes with initial masses above 10^10 grams survive to today and can account for all dark matter due to suppressed Hawking radiation and memory burden effects in the micron-scale dark dimension.
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Towards theory constraints on ultralight dark matter from quantum gravity
In asymptotically safe gravity, dimension-five couplings of ultralight scalar dark matter to gauge field strengths vanish and are not generated perturbatively.
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Morse-Bott inequalities, Topology Change and Cobordisms to Nothing
Morse-Bott inequalities yield homology bounds and topology-change counts for generic cobordisms to nothing in string theory compactifications.
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ISCOs and the weak gravity conjecture bound in higher derivative theories of gravity
Derives WGC bound on probe charge-to-mass ratio from positivity of anomalous dimensions in dual CFT for charged particles in higher-derivative AdS black holes, with bound increasing with couplings and ISCOs existing up to the bound.
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Ultraviolet completion of Starobinsky inflation
A supergravity construction using two chiral superfields embeds arbitrary F(R) gravity as a UV completion of Starobinsky inflation, stabilized by the dilaton and consistent with swampland constraints in a heterotic string example.
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Sampling the Graviton Pole and Deprojecting the Swampland
A sampling-based bootstrap for graviton poles in EFTs yields non-projective bounds that fix the EFT cutoff scale relative to the Planck mass, with M/M_P ≲ 7.8 in D=5.
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Probing Two Dark Dimensions through Primordial Black Holes, Gravitational Waves, and Colliders
In the two-dark-dimensions framework, memory-burden-suppressed primordial black holes can comprise all dark matter from 10^{-3} g to 10^{21} g and generate stochastic gravitational waves detectable by LISA, DECIGO, and pulsar timing arrays, with complementary collider signals.
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An Interplay Between Fractional Calculus and Holographic Dark Energy
Introduces Fractional Holographic Dark Energy (FHDE) via fractionally corrected entropy from a modified Wheeler-DeWitt equation and studies its late-time cosmology, field reconstructions, and extensions to modified gravity theories.
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Moduli Stabilisation for ADD and the Dark Dimension Scenario
A perturbative stabilization mechanism in the Large Volume Scenario for K3-fibered Calabi-Yau threefolds generates exponentially large 2D base volumes while keeping the 4D fibre small, enabling ADD or Dark Dimension limits with possible dS or quintessence vacua.
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Supersymmetry, Large Extra Dimensions and the Gravitino Conjecture
Under the Gravitino Conjecture, only one or two large extra dimensions are compatible with a linear scaling between gravitino mass and KK scale in Type II compactifications, implying light gravitino and gauge-mediated breaking for micron-sized dimensions.
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Gravity Decoupling and Axionic Shift Symmetries
Axionic string tensions define vector fields on moduli space that split into mutually orthogonal subsets with one decoupling from gravity, and their Laplacian relates to divergent moduli space curvature.
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Towards a complete description of multiple D$p$-brane systems: Multiple D$0$ Story
A doubly supersymmetric nonlinear action for multiple D0-branes is constructed in flat superspace via the moving frame formalism.
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Bounds on Discrete Gauge Symmetries in Supergravity
Upper bounds are placed on the order of enhanced discrete gauge symmetries in supersymmetric supergravity theories with 8 or more supercharges, with some bounds saturated by string theory examples.
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Searching for a Dark Dimension Right-handed Neutrino in KATRIN
The paper derives KATRIN signatures for a 5D right-handed neutrino and shows that a large part of the compactification scale, bulk mass, and Yukawa coupling parameter space lies within experimental sensitivity, with multiple or single kinks depending on the bulk mass relative to the compactification
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Reviving Motivated Inflationary Potentials with $K$-inflation in the light of ACT
K-inflation with non-canonical kinetic term G(φ) shifts α-attractor T-models and natural inflation into the Planck-ACT-LB-BK18 allowed region while satisfying Swampland conjectures and producing testable GW spectra.
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Stochastic Survival near Swampland Boundaries
Surviving inflationary histories develop a universal inward drift near any hard swampland boundary — two times the diffusion over the distance to the edge — regardless of the cutoff's microscopic origin.
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Kaleidoscopes, Waves and the Prepotential
Coxeter symmetries from isomorphic flops in Kähler-favorable CICYs make the 4D N=2 prepotential solve the Helmholtz equation on the moduli space, enabling resummed expressions from worldsheet instantons.
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Barrow holographic dark energy interacting model in the presence of radiation and matter
Numerical study of interacting Barrow holographic dark energy in non-flat universes with radiation, showing EoS transitions and higher fitted H0 values that may address Hubble tension.
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Assisted Fibre Inflation in Perturbative LVS
Multi-field fibre inflation in perturbative LVS uses collective dynamics of several moduli to achieve viable cosmology with sub-Planckian individual field ranges given by total range divided by sqrt(n).
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Thermal effects and finite-temperature cosmology in perturbatively stabilized large volume scenarios
Examines thermal effects on moduli in perturbatively stabilized LVS, deriving T_max dependence on loop corrections and showing thermal metastability is sensitive to post-inflationary history while favoring high-scale inflation.
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The weak gravity conjecture in perturbative strings
A summary of a proposed proof that the Weak Gravity Conjecture follows from the structure of perturbative bosonic string theory.
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Rethinking quantum information in gravity and fields
The paper organizes important open questions in quantum gravity and quantum information into four themes without presenting new results or derivations.
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On Thermodynamics of Charged Black Holes, Swampland, and Dark Matter
A thermodynamic treatment of charged black holes is proposed to connect swampland conjectures to the dark dimension and dark matter using dynamical cosmological constant and quasi-static scalar fields.
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Breaking Free from the Swampland of Impossible Universes through the DESI Portal
A review of string-inspired dynamical dark energy models claiming compatibility with DESI's hints of evolving dark energy under swampland constraints.
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Dark energy from string theory: an introductory review
String theory imposes constraints on dark energy but permits various construction attempts for de Sitter vacua and single-field exponential quintessence models despite obstructions.
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In the Realm of the Hubble tension $-$ a Review of Solutions
A review summarizing the Hubble constant tension and proposed solutions from new physics that restore agreement between Planck CMB data and local H0 measurements within 1-2 sigma.
- The Hagedorn Temperature as a Nonequilibrium Dynamical Bottleneck in String Thermodynamics