Presents
The KITP Public Lecture Series
Duality, Space-Time and Quantum Mechanics
sponsored by Friends of KITP
In the last few years, physicists have learned that the different
string theories discovered and studied in different ways are
limiting cases of a single, more powerful theory, known as M
theory. "M" stands for magic, mystery, or matrix, according to
taste. Some of these developments will be explained in this
lecture.
Edward Witten, professor of physics at the Institute for Advanced
Study in Princeton, N.J., is arguably the premier theoretical
physicist of our time. Renowned for his many contributions to
particle physics and string theory, Witten has almost
single-handedly constructed a new branch of mathematical
physics For his achievements, he has been awarded
mathematics\' highest prize, the 1990 Fields Medal. A member of
the National Academy of Sciences, he is a recipient of a
MacArthur Prize, the Dirac Medal, and many other honors.