2001/08/17 by D. Bailin, Bailin, D., G. V. Kraniotis +3
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th) #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.hep-th/0108127
21 pages, LaTeX file, Based on a talk given by D. Bailin, at the first Cairo International Conference on High Energy Physics, (CICHEP 2001), Jan.2001. To be published in the proceedings
arxiv created 2001/08/17 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30
We briefly review attempts to construct string theories that yield the standard model, concentrating on models with a geometric interpretation. Calabi-Yau compactifications are discussed in the context of both the weakly coupled heterotic string and the strongly coupled version, heterotic M-theory. Similarly, we consider orbifold compactifications of weakly coupled heterotic theory and of Type II theories in the presence of D-branes. The latter allows a "bottom-up" construction that so far seems the most natural and direct route to the standard model.