Stephen Shenker

Work

• Basic results on the phase structure of gauge theories
• Basic results on two dimensional conformal field theory and its relation to string theory
• The nonperturbative formulation of matrix models of low-dimensional string theory, the first nonperturbative definitions of string theory
• The discovery of distinctively stringy nonperturbative effects in string theory, later understood to be caused by D-branes. These effects play a major role in string dynamics
• The discovery of Matrix Theory, the first nonperturbative definition of String/M theory in a physical number of dimensions. Matrix Theory is an example of a gauge/gravity duality and is now understood to be a special case of the AdS/CFT correspondence
• Basic results on the connection between quantum gravity and quantum chaos

  Selected works