Hitchhiker’s guide to Matrix Models by Arghya Chattopadhyay

This set of three talks is targeted to equip the attendees with a bunch of tools needed to understand the current state of Matrix Model Technology(MMT). Rather than dividing the discussion into three lectures, I would like to split the talk into three parts, which will be covered in the span of three lectures. Following is a quick description of the same

• Pallavi This part of the talk will cover the essential skills of MMT. We will introduce (Hermitian) matrix models as 0-dimensional field theories and analyse them in two ways, one is the traditional saddle point method, and the second one is the orthogonal polynomial method. After solving simple matrix models, we will then go on to solve Chern-Simons matrix models with both the above-described techniques. Tools of this Pallavi part will be repeatedly used in the rest of the talks.

• Anupallavi After understanding the 0-dimensional matrix models we will then move on to 1-dimensionsal matrix models or the so-called matrix quantum mechanics.

• Charanam The last part of this set of talks will focus on different applications of matrix models. We will discuss the Young diagram basis of (unitary) matrix models and use them to show a rather non-trivial way of studying different phase structures of gauge theories.