UNISCAMP · The unity of scattering amplitudes: gauge theory, gravity, strings and number theory

Scattering amplitudes are central observables in quantum field theory and provide essential information about the quantum consistency of perturbative gravity. Precise control of the physical and mathematical properties of scattering amplitudes holds the key to long-standing questions on fundamental interactions and the structure of space and time. As a concrete leap in this direction, UNISCAMP addresses predictions in gauge theories, gravity and effective theories through- the efficient computation and compact representation of scattering amplitudes and,- decoding their hidden structures & symmetries and their rich web of connections.String-theory methods will complement conventional approaches to scattering amplitudes, and I will combine the insights from- the point-particle limit of superstrings & heterotic strings and,- the recent ambitwistor strings which directly compute field-theory amplitudes.Both of them naturally incorporate the double-copy relation between gauge-theory & gravity amplitudes and extend the framework to effective field theories describing pions and other low-energy states. It is a primary goal of UNISCAMP to pinpoint the unifying principles connecting a wide range of field and string theories. My expertise in both flavours of string theories will allow to optimally exploit their fruitful synergies and to depart from mainstream approaches. Moreover, field- and string-theory amplitudes exhibit an intriguing mathematical structure: Their Feynman- and moduli-space integrals yield special functions such as polylogarithms which became a vibrant common theme of high-energy physics and number theory. As an interdisciplinary goal of UNISCAMP, I will- investigate the low-energy expansion of multiloop string amplitudes and,- extract an organizing scheme for iterated integrals on higher-genus Riemann surfaces.These research objectives should benefit from my experience in collaborations with mathematicians.