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MiS Preprint
45/2004
Chern Simons and String Theory
Kishore Marathe
Abstract
The question "What is the relationship between gauge theory and string theory?" is not meaningful at this time. However, interesting special cases where such relationship can be established are emerging. In this paper we discuss the relation of the Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev invariants of 3-manifold obtained by Chern-Simons gauge theory and topological string amplitudes of open strings on its cotangent bundle. A conifold transition allows us to convert the open string amplitudes into closed string amplitudes on the resolved conifold. We also discuss some interesting conjectures which will soon be renamed as theorems and which are related to ideas from various physical field theories.
