Monica Jinwoo Kang

 

Selected Recordings of My Talks

These are few selected recordings of my talk in a reverse chronological order. Please click the grey titles to expand/collapse to view each of the corresponding video recordings.

Imperial College London Quiver Meeting Seminar, May 2023

Title: Emergent N=4 supersymmetry from N=1

Abstract: I will construct 4d N=1,2 SCFTs with identical central charges a=c (without a large N limit) via the diagonal gauging of collections of non-Lagrangian Argyres–Douglas and conformal matter theories. Utilizing a particular family of theories from this construction, I will present a four-dimensional N=1 supersymmetric field theory that is dual to the N=4 super Yang--Mills theory with gauge group SU(2n+1) for each n. The dual theory is constructed through the diagonal gauging of the SU(2n+1) flavor symmetry of three copies of a particular Argyres–Douglas theory. This theory flows in the infrared to a strongly-coupled N=1 SCFT that lies on the same conformal manifold as N=4 SYM.

Strings and Geometry 2023, March 2023

Title: 4d SCFTs in different guises: a 6d reveal

Abstract: When do two quantum field theories describe the same physics? I will discuss some approaches to this question in the context of superconformal field theories in four and six dimensions. Utilizing 4d class S theories that also admits 6d (1,0) SCFT origins, I will explain how certain class of 4d N=2 SCFTs, which a priori look like distinct theories, can be shown to describe the same physics, as they arise as torus-compactifications of identical 6d (1,0) SCFTs. Each 6d SCFT in question can be obtained from a parent 6d SCFT by Higgs branch renormalization group flow, and the parent theory possesses a discrete symmetry under which the relevant Higgs branch flows are exchanged. The existence of this discrete symmetry, which may be embedded in an enhanced continuous symmetry, proves that the original pair of class S theories are, in fact, isomorphic.

UC Santa Barbara, KITP, High Energy and Gravity Seminars, November 2022

Title: Counting states with global symmetry

Abstract: I will describe the universal aspect of unitary conformal field theories in the high-temperature limit with a global symmetry group G, where G can be a discrete group or a compact Lie group. I will describe the geometric setup to apply the spurion analysis and explain how we can capture this universal aspect up to a constant factor that depends on the choice of a theory. We consider as examples free field CFTs and holographic CFTs of the RN black holes with and without hair. We find that the RNAdS black hole with non-abelian hair is thermodynamically more stable than the one without hair.

GGI focus week on Reconstructing the Gravitational Hologram with Quantum Information, July 2022

Title:Bulk reconstruction with nonperturbative gravity

The dual mystery channel of gauge and gravity seminar, IIT-Madras, March 2022

Title: Nonperturbative gravity corrections to bulk reconstruction

Abstract: I will first motivate the benefits on taking the algebraic approach to understand AdS/CFT and how an algebra of local operators of QFT has knowledge of a spacetime region. Utilizing both operator algebras and quantum information theory, I will explain a new framework for understanding nonperturbative gravitational aspects of bulk reconstruction with a finite or infinite-dimensional boundary Hilbert space. This will be understood as approximate recovery containing gravitational errors, and the bulk reconstruction in this context will be understood using the privacy/correctability correspondence.

Rutgers High Energy Theory Group Seminar, December 2021

Title: 4d SCFTs with a=c

Abstract: I will present a particular set of 4d N=2 SCFTs that can be labeled with a pair of Lie groups of type ADE. For specific choices, we get infinitely many theories arising from this construction that have their two central charges to be identical: a=c (without taking any large N limit). Interestingly, the Schur indices of these theories are identical to that of N=4 super Yang-Mills uptown rescaling fugacities. I will further utilize this construction to present various 4d N=1 SCFTs with a=c.

Simons workshop on Geometry of (S)QFT, September 2021

Title: 4d SCFTs with a=c

Abstract: I will present a particular set of 4d N=2 SCFTs that can be labeled with a pair of Lie groups of type ADE. For specific choices, we get infinitely many theories arising from this construction that have their two central charges to be identical: a=c (without taking any large N limit). Interestingly, the Schur indices of these theories are identical to that of N=4 super Yang-Mills uptown rescaling fugacities. I will further utilize this construction to present various 4d N=1 SCFTs with a=c.

The 2nd workshop on Quantum Geometry and Duality, October 2021

Title: Geometric origins and motivations to 4d SCFTs

Based on "Two 6d origins of 4d SCFTs: class S and 6d (1, 0) on a torus (arXiv:2106.11990)" and "Infinitely many 4d N=2 SCFTs with a=c and beyond (arXiv:2106.12579)"

2nd PIMS Summer School on Algebraic Geometry in High Energy Physics, August 2021

Title: Elliptic Fibrations and Singularities to Anomalies and Spectra (4 Lectures)

Abstract: Throughout my lectures I will explain the geometry of elliptic fibration which can gave rise to understanding the spectra and anomalies in lower-dimensional theories from the Calabi-Yau compactifications of F-theory. I will first explain what elliptic fibration is and explain Kodaira types, which gives rise an ADE classification. Utilizing Weierstrass model of elliptic fibrations, I will discuss Tate's algorithm and Mordell-Weil group. By considering codimension one and two singularities and studying the geometry of crepant resolutions, we can define G-models that are geometrically-engineered models from F-theory. I will discuss the dictionary between the gauge theory and the elliptic fibrations and how to incorporate this to learn about topological invariants of the compactified Calabi-Yau that is one of the ingredient to understand spectra in the compactified theories. I will explain the more refined connection to understand the Coulomb branch of the 5d N=1 theories and 6d (1,0) theories and their anomalies from this perspective.

Lecture 1:

Lecture 2:

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Lecture 4:

UC Santa Barbara, KITP, High Energy and Gravity Seminars, March 2021

Title: The infinite HaPPY code and the bulk reconstruction

Abstract: I will construct an infinite-dimensional analog of the HaPPY code as a growing series of stabilizer codes defined respective to their Hilbert spaces. These Hilbert spaces are related by isometries that will be defined during this talk. I will analyze its system in various aspects and demonstrate, using an operator-algebraic perspective, that the bulk reconstruction is satisfied for the infinite-dimensional analogue of the HaPPY code. I will discuss its implications in AdS/CFT and further utilize this operator-algebraic approach to the approximate theorem between the bulk reconstruction and relative entropy equivalence.

UC Berkeley, String Seminar, October 2020

Title: A GNS story of holographic baby universes

Abstract: I will introduce a GNS construction as a formalism to study baby universes. This naturally shifts the primordial role to the algebra of observables rather than the Hilbert spaces. I will explicitly form baby universe operations and utilize them to build baby universe algebras. Using these ingredients, I will construct the baby universe Hilbert spaces. I will highlight that this approach will give an understanding of the miraculous cancellation as a natural result from the character theory. I will illustrate its physics by giving two different physical settings as examples.

UC Santa Barbara, KITP, High Energy and Gravity Seminars, August 2020

Title: Algebras of observables for holographic theories: a GNS story

Perimeter Institute, Fields and Strings Seminar, December 2019

Title: Entanglement wedge reconstruction and operator algebras

Abstract: In order to satisfy the Reeh-Schlieder theorem, I study the infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces using von Neumann algebras. I will first present the theorem that the entanglement wedge reconstruction and the equivalence of relative entropies between the boundary and the bulk (JLMS) are exactly identical. Then I will demonstrate the entanglement wedge reconstruction with a tensor network model of von Neumann algebra with type II1 factor, which guarantees the equivalence between the boundary and the bulk. I will further sketch that this toy model can be generalized to provide more general von Neumann algebras, including the case of a type III1 factor. This can give further insights to understanding quantum gravity from an algebraic perspective.

IAS Workshop on Qubits and Spacetime, December 2019

Title: Entanglement Wedge Reconstruction in Infinite-Dimensional Hilbert Spaces

Perimeter Institute, Mathematical Physics Seminar, February 2019

Title: Coulomb Phases and Anomalies: Geometric Approach to 5d/6d Theories

Abstract: I will review the geometric approach to the description of Coulomb branches and Chern-Simons terms of gauge theories coming from compactifications of M-theory on elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau threefolds. Mathematically, this involves finding all the crepant resolutions of a given Weierstrass model and understanding the network of flops connecting them together with computing certain topological invariants. I will further check that the uplifted theory in 6d is anomaly-free using Green-Schwartz mechanism. I will give examples on the theory with semi-simple gauge groups such as SU(2)xG2, which plays a major role in the classification of 6d superconformal theories, and SU(2)xSU(3), which describes the non-abelian sector of the standard model.

Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, Physics Seminar, October 2018

Title: Anomaly Cancellation from Geometric Understanding of 5d/6d Spectra

Abstract: I will describe the Coulomb branch of the 5d theory obtained by M-theory compactifications on Calabi-Yau threefolds. I encode non-abelian gauge theories geometrically by using elliptic fibrations on M-theory (that has an F-theory dual). I will describe the spectra of the resulting 5d theories and their 6d uplifts. I will further discuss the anomalies of the uplifted theory.

Strings 2017, June 2017

Title: Euler Characteristics of Crepant Resolutions of Weierstrass Models


Invited Talks

  1. Strings and Geometry 2024, University of Hamburg and DESY, May 2024
  2. Random Physics, Princeton Center for Theoretical Science, March 2024
  3. Bridges between holographic quantum information and quantum gravity, University of Cambridge, Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, November 2023
  4. Texas A&M University, Mitchell Institute, MIST High-Energy Theory Seminar, October 2023
  5. Symplectic Geometry, Low Dimensional Topology, and Quantum Fields, Clay Mathematics Institute (CMI), University of Oxford, September 2023
  6. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), High Energy Physics Seminar, August 2023
  7. Windows on the Universe, the 30th Anniversary Conference of the Rencontres du Vietnam, August 2023
  8. The Physical Mathematics of Quantum Field Theory Summer School, University of Massachusetts Amherst, July 2023
  9. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Mathematical Physics mini-lectures, June-July 2023
  10. The 15th edition of the International Workshop "Lie Theory and Its Applications in Physics", Varna, Bulgaria, June 2023
  11. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Fields and Strings seminar, June 2023
  12. Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), String theory seminar, June 2023
  13. The Geometry, Algebra, and Physics of Higgs Bundles, The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS), June 2023
  14. Rising Stars in Physics 2023, UC Berkeley, May 2023
  15. California Institute of Technology, Observational Cosmology seminar, May 2023
  16. Imperial College London, Quiver meeting seminar, May 2023
  17. Institute of Basic Science Center for Geometry and Physics (IBS-CGP), Center for Geometry and Physics Colloquium, April 2023
  18. Institute of Basic Science Center for Geometry and Physics (IBS-CGP), Symplectic Geometry seminar, April 2023
  19. NeXus theoretical physics seminar, March 2023
  20. University of Pennsylvania, High energy theory group seminar, March 2023
  21. Strings and Geometry 2023, University of Pennsylvania, March 2023
  22. UC Berkeley, Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics, String Seminar, February 2023
  23. Pomona College, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Colloquium, January 2023
  24. Princeton Center for Theoretical Science, High energy theory seminar, November 2022
  25. UC Santa Barbara, KITP, High Energy and Gravity Seminar, November 2022
  26. UCLA, Theoretical Elementary Particle (TEP) physics seminar, November 2022
  27. IST Lisbon, String Theory Seminar, November 2022
  28. UT Austin, Geometry and String Theory Seminar, November 2022
  29. UT Austin, Theory Group Seminars, November 2022
  30. Stanford, SITP Monday Colloquium, October 2022
  31. Kyunghee University, String Theory Group, October 2022
  32. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), KAIX seminar, October 2022
  33. PIMS(Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences) Geometry, Algebra, and Physics Seminar, University of Saskatchewan, August 2022
  34. Simons Summer Workshop 2022, Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, August 2022
  35. Reconstructing the Gravitational Hologram with Quantum Information, The Galileo Galilei Institute for Theoretical Physics, July 2022
  36. Amsterdam String Workshop 2022, Amsterdam, July 2022
  37. Geometric Structures (re)United: Higgs bundles, geometric structures, and character varieties, Chicago, June 2022
  38. Freie Universitat Berlin, Quantum Information and Condensed Matter Seminar, June 2022
  39. Quantum Security via Algebras and Representation Theory (QUASAR) seminar, Carleton University and University of Ottawa, June 2022
  40. Canadian Operator Symposium (COSy), 50th anniversary, June 2022
  41. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Theoretical Physics, May 2022
  42. UC San Diego, Particle Physics Group, May 2022
  43. Kyunghee University, String Theory Group, April 2022
  44. IIT-Madras, The dual mystery channel of gauge and gravity seminar, March 2022
  45. Low Dimensional Models of Quantum Gravity, Aspen Winter Conference, February 2022
  46. Geometrization of (S)QFTs in D≤6, Aspen Winter Conference, February 2022
  47. UC Berkeley, Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics, String-Math Seminar, January 2022
  48. Freie Universitat Berlin, Quantum Information Theory Seminar, December 2021
  49. Northeastern University, Geometry, Physics, and Representation Theory Seminar, December 2021
  50. Rutgers, High Energy Theory Group, December 2021
  51. UC Riverside, Differential Geometry Seminar, November 2021
  52. Frontiers in Theoretical Physics, Jeju, November 2021
  53. Quantum Geometry and Duality, GIST, October 2021
  54. Exact results on irrelevant deformations of QFTs, Jeju, October 2021
  55. Geometry of (S)QFT, Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, September 2021
  56. 2nd PIMS Summer School on Algebraic Geometry in High-Energy Physics, Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences, August 2021
  57. Updates on Methods of Theoretical Physics, Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP), August 2021
  58. University of Queensland, School of Mathematics and Physics, Physics Colloquium, July 2021
  59. Strings, Branes and Gauge Theories, Gyeongju, July 2021
  60. Korea Institute for Advanced Study, String Theory Seminar, May 2021
  61. California Institute of Technology, High Energy Theory Wednesday Seminar, April 2021
  62. UC Santa Barbara, KITP, High Energy and Gravity Seminar, March 2021
  63. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), December 2020
  64. University of Saskatchewan, Centre for Quantum Topology and Its Applications, Quantum Topology and Its Applications CRG Colloquium, November 2020
  65. UC Berkeley, Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics, String Seminar, October 2020
  66. Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, IPM Holography virtual seminar, September 2020
  67. California Institute of Technology, Institute of Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM), IQI Seminar, August 2020
  68. UC Santa Barbara, KITP, High Energy and Gravity Seminar, video, August 2020
  69. California Institute of Technology, High Energy Theory Wednesday Seminar, July 2020
  70. Quantum Information in Quantum Gravity 6, CERN, June 2020 (canceled due to COVID-19)
  71. California Institute of Technology, High Energy Theory Wednesday Seminar, May 2020
  72. UC Davis, Center for Quantum Mathematics and Physics, Fields Strings Gravity Seminar, February 2020
  73. Perimeter Institute, Quantum Fields and Strings Seminar, video, December 2019
  74. Workshop on Qubits and Spacetime, Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS), slides, video, December 2019
  75. California Institute of Technology, Institute of Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM), IQI Seminar, November 2019
  76. IBS Center for Geometry and Physics, CGP Colloquium, November 2019
  77. Southeastern Regional Mathematical String Theory Meeting, Duke University, November 2019
  78. California Institute of Technology, High Energy Theory Informal Seminar, October 2019
  79. California Institute of Technology, Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, slides, Burke Institute Luncheon, October 2019
  80. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Theoretical Physics, March 2019
  81. Perimeter Institute, Mathematical Physics Seminar, video, February 2019
  82. Johns Hopkins University, Particle Theory Seminar, December 2018
  83. University of Chicago, Theory Seminar, December 2018
  84. University of Milano-Bicocca, November 2018
  85. Utrecht University, Institute for Theoretical Physics, November 2018
  86. University of Amsterdam, Institute for Theoretical Physics Amsterdam, November 2018
  87. IPhT at Saclay, Seminaire de matrices, cordes et geometries aleatoires, November 2018
  88. Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Research in String Theory Seminar, November 2018
  89. Current Trends on Spectral Data for Higgs Bundles, University of Oxford, November 2018
  90. Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics, November 2018
  91. California Institute of Technology, High Energy Theory Seminar, November 2018
  92. Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, video, Physics Seminar, October 2018
  93. AMS Fall Western Sectional Meeting, slides, San Francisco, October 2018
  94. University of Pennsylvania, Math-Physics Joint Seminar, October 2018
  95. Virginia Tech, Neutrino Physics Seminar, October 2018
  96. Physics and Mathematics of F-theory, slides, Harvard University, September, 2018
  97. New York University Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, High Energy Physics Seminar, September 2018
  98. Columbia University, Theory Seminar, September 2018
  99. Geometry and Physics of Gauge Theories at Infinity, Saskatchewan, August 2018
  100. Strings 2018 (Gong show honorable mention, poster), Okinawa, June 2018
  101. String-Math 2018 (Gong show), slides, Sendai, June 2018
  102. Korea Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS), String Theory Seminar, June 2018
  103. CERN, String Theory Seminar, April 2018
  104. University of Heidelberg, String Theory and Beyond the Standard Model Seminar, April 2018
  105. Harvard, In-House Strings Seminar, November 2017
  106. Korea Science Academy of KAIST, Physics Seminar, August 2017
  107. Strings 2017 (Gong show), video, Tel-Aviv, June 2017
  108. Kongju National University, Colloquium, August 2016
  109. Korea Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS), String Theory Seminar, July 2016
  110. California Institute of Technology, High Energy Theory Seminar, December 2015