physics

Matthias Gaberdiel

Matthias Gaberdiel is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Matthias Gaberdiel rather than just read about it. In short: Matthias Gaberdiel (born June 25, 1966, in Offenburg, Germany) is a theoretical physicist and full professor at ETH Zurich. He is known for his work on higher-spin theory and conformal field theory.

Key takeaways

Matthias Gaberdiel belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Matthias Gaberdiel to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Matthias Gaberdiel from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Matthias Gaberdiel (born June 25, 1966, in Offenburg, Germany) is a theoretical physicist and full professor at ETH Zurich. He is known for his work on higher-spin theory and conformal field theory.

Research Gaberdiel works on string theory and conformal field theory. Recently, he has mainly worked on the duality between higher spin theories on AdS and dual conformal field theories (with Rajesh Gopakumar). His most cited publications are:

Gaberdiel MR, Gopakumar R. An AdS 3 dual for minimal model CFTs. Physical Review D. 2011 Mar 8;83(6):066007. [2] According to Google Scholar, it has been cited 466 times. Gaberdiel, Matthias R., and Horst G. Kausch. "A rational logarithmic conformal field theory." arXiv preprint hep-th/9606050 (1996). [3] According to Google Scholar, it has been cited 268 times. Bergman O, Gaberdiel MR. Stable non-BPS D-particles. Physics Letters B. 1998 Nov 26;441(1-4):133-40. [4] According to Google Scholar, it has been cited 189 times. Gaberdiel MR. An algebraic approach to logarithmic conformal field theory. International Journal of Modern Physics A. 2003 Oct 10;18(25):4593-638. [5] According to Google Scholar, it has been cited 232 times.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Matthias Gaberdiel

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Matthias Gaberdiel claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Matthias Gaberdiel before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Matthias Gaberdiel ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Matthias Gaberdiel

In research: Matthias Gaberdiel appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Matthias Gaberdiel in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Matthias Gaberdiel is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1966 births, 20th-century Swiss physicists, Academic staff of ETH Zurich, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Matthias Gaberdiel outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Matthias Gaberdiel in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Matthias Gaberdiel means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Matthias Gaberdiel in simple terms?

Matthias Gaberdiel (born June 25, 1966, in Offenburg, Germany) is a theoretical physicist and full professor at ETH Zurich. He is known for his work on higher-spin theory and conformal field theory.

Why does Matthias Gaberdiel matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Matthias Gaberdiel?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Matthias Gaberdiel.