Geometric Construction of N=2 Gauge Theories

Abstract

In this lecture we give an elementary introduction to the natural realization of non-perturbative N=2 quantum field theories as a low energy limit of classical string theory. We review a systematic construction of six, five, and four dimensional gauge theories using geometrical data, which provides the exact, non-perturbative solution via mirror symmetry. This construction has lead to the exact solution of a large class of gravity free gauge theories, including Super Yang Mills (SYM) theories as well as non-conventional quantum field theories without a known Lagrangian description.