International Conference on Theoretical Physics

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxx

   PDF

2. Special Plenary Lectures

   1. Rise of Complexity, 1953–2002

      • Philip W. Anderson

      Pages 1-8

   2. The Thematic Melodies of Twentieth Century Theoretical Physics

      • Chen Ning Yang

      Pages 9-14

3. Beyond the Standard Model

   1. Probing Physics at the Planck Scale

      • G. G. Ross

      Pages 15-30

   2. Tachyons in String Theory

      • Ashoke Sen

      Pages 31-42

   3. Neutrino Masses as a Probe of Grand Unification

      • Guido Altarelli

      Pages 43-53

   4. Addressing Challenges of Quantum Gravity Through Quantum Geometry: Black holes and Big-bang

      • Abhay Ashtekar

      Pages 55-69

   5. CP Violation and the CKM Matrix

      • Martin Beneke

      Pages 71-92

   6. Supercoset CFT’s for String Theories on Non-compact Special Holonomy Manifolds

      • Tohru Eguchi, Yuji Sugawara, Satoshi Yamaguchi

      Pages 93-95

   7. Kaon Decays and the Flavour Problem

      • Gino Isidori

      Pages 97-109

   8. Strings in Flat Space and Plane Waves from N= 4 Super Yang Mills

      • Juan Maldacena

      Pages 111-128

   9. Solution of N= 2 Theories via Instanton Counting

      • Nikita A. Nekrasov

      Pages 129-145

   10. Topological Effects in Matrix Models Representing Lattice Gauge Theories at Large N

       • Herbert Neuberger

       Pages 147-158

   11. Aspects of String Motion in Time-Dependent Backgrounds

       • Eliezer Rabinovici

       Pages 159-173

   12. Boundaries, Defects and Frobenius Algebras

       • Jürgen Fuchs, Ingo Runkel, Christoph Schweigert

       Pages 175-182

   13. Surprises with Angular Momentum

       • Paul K. Townsend

       Pages 183-195

4. QCD, Hadron Dynamics, etc...

   1. Lattice QCD — from Quark Confinement to Asymptotic Freedom

      • Martin Lüscher

      Pages 197-210

   2. QCD and Natural Philosophy

      • Frank Wilczek

      Pages 211-228

   3. RHIC and High Energy Density Matter

      • Larry McLerran

      Pages 229-242

   4. Generalized Parton Distributions and Generalized Distribution Amplitudes: New Tools for Hadronic Physics

      • Bernard Pire

      Pages 243-246

The International Conference on Theoretical Physics, TH-2002, took place in Paris from July 22 to 27 in the Conference Center of the UNESCO, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, under aegis of the IUPAP, the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics and of the French and Euro­ pean Physical Societies, with a large support of several French, European and international Institutions. International and crossdisciplinary, TH-2002 welcomed around 1200 partic­ ipants representing all domains of modern theoretical physics. The conference offered a high-level scientific program, including 18 plenary lectures, 45 general lectures in thematic sessions and 140 more specialized lectures, partly invited and partly selected among proposals received from participants. Around 500 contribu­ tions were also presented as posters. Plenary lectures as well as general thematic lectures were addressed to a general audience of theoricians, not only to specialists. According to our commitments towards UNESCO and other sponsoring insti­ tutions, TH-2002 attributed more than 200 fellowships, mostly to scientists from developing countries and Eastern Europe, covering registration fees and, for more than half of them, stay expenses with student type accomodation. Special highlights of the conference included • the opening ceremony on July 22, with the participation of Mrs Claudie Haignere, French Minister of Research, and M. Walter Erdelen, General Ad­ joint Director for Sciences at UNESCO. Their opening addresses were espe­ cially appreciated and are reproduced below. This ceremony preceded the first lecture by Professor Cohen-Tannoudji, Physics Nobel prize winner.

• Theoretical physics
• mathematical physics
• mechanics
• quantum chaos
• quantum mechanics

• Orme des Merisiers, Service de Physique Théorique CEA / Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France

  Daniel Iagolnitzer, Jean Zinn-Justin

• Laboratoire de Physique Théorique, Université Paris XI, Orsay Cedex, France

  Vincent Rivasseau

Policies and ethics