# Special holonomy and branes

October 26 to October 30, 2020

at the

American Institute of Mathematics, San Jose, California

organized by

Sergei Gukov, Rafe Mazzeo, and Sakura Schafer-Nameki

## Original Announcement

This workshop will be devoted to bringing together physicists and mathematicians to concentrate on a variety of problems concerning special holonomy compactifications of M-theory. There are a number of 'special' geometries on low dimensional manifolds. The investigation of spaces carrying these geometries, and of the distinguished cycles within these spaces, plays an important role in the development of physical models and leads to numerous mathematical challenges. One area of particular interest is the class of seven-dimensional manifolds with $G_2$ holonomy, or more simply $G_2$ manifolds. These give rise to four-dimensional theories with minimal supersymmetry - a class of models with interesting applications to particle physics, as well as conceptual significance in studying the structure of gauge theories, and in particular conformal field theories.

Another goal is the consolidation of our understanding of the moduli of gravitational instantons in four dimensions, and subsequently the search for analogues of these instantons in higher dimensions, their distinguished cycles, and the moduli of these objects.

## Material from the workshop

A list of participants.

The workshop schedule.

A report on the workshop activities.