$N\!=\!8$ Superconformal Algebra and the Superstring

Abstract

The superstring in $D\!=\!3,4$ and 6 is invariant under an $N\!=\!D\!-\!2$ superconformal algebra based on $\widehat{S^{D-3}}$. There is a direct relationship between this (world-sheet) symmetry and the super-Poincar\'e (target space) symmetry. We establish this relationship using the light-cone gauge, show how the statement generalizes to $D\!=\!10$ and examine the properties of the $N\!=\!8$ superconformal algebra and the possible implications of its existence.