String Theory - its prospects and applications

Abstract: String Theory is the most promising candidate for a theory describing all fundamental physics. Its postulate that everything in the universe is made out of tiny vibrating strings reconciles the two main pillars of modern physics: Einstein’s theory of General Relativity and quantum theory. This allows for the first time to address questions in both quantum gravity and particle physics in one unified framework. We will discuss the physical consequences and predictions of String Theory. String Theory provides new concepts and an unexpected perspective on physics. One of its key insights is the translation of physical questions to mathematics, including geometry and number theory. We will show how this allows to efficiently study quantum field theory in general and particle physics models in particular. We will conclude with a topic that has gained much recent attention: F-theory, which is the broadest approach to study String Theory and which has rich particle physics.