Speaker
Jesse van Muiden
(Imperial College)
Description
I will discuss recent progress toward a microscopic description of M-theory in holographic backgrounds based on supersymmetric M2-branes. In $AdS_4$ and $AdS_7$, these branes localize to tractable sectors, allowing direct computations of protected non-perturbative effects and refining the holographic dictionary. In particular, this perspective highlights the role of ensembles, suggesting that in $AdS_4$ the natural bulk description is related to a grand-canonical treatment of ABJM theory. Time permitting, I will also present ongoing work on M5-brane instantons and their role in M-theory partition functions.
Author
Jesse van Muiden
(Imperial College)
