Gauge Theories, Spin Glasses and Real Glasses

Abstract

In this talk I will show that usual spin glasses are a peculiar kind of Abelian gauge theory. I will shortly review the techniques used to study them. At the end I will consider more general models (e.g. spin glasses based on non Abelian gauge group) and I will discuss the relevance of these models to real glasses. Finally I will derive from first principles a generalised Vogel-Fulcher law for the divergence of the characteristic time near the glass transition.