Title: Gauge Theory and Langlands Duality
Speaker: Peter Bouwknegt (ANU)
Abstract: In this talk I will explain how electric-magnetic duality (S-duality) of N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory in 4 dimensions is related to the Geometric Langlands program. We will see how important physical concepts, such as Wilson and 't Hooft operators, branes, mirror symmetry of sigma models, and others, when applied to N=4 SYM, give rise to the ingredients and statements of the Geometric Langlands conjecture. At the same time, this talk will serve as an introduction to the Geometric Langlands program.