| String theory |
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| Fundamental objects |
| Perturbative theory |
| Non-perturbative results |
| Phenomenology |
| Mathematics |
Look up brane in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
In string theory and related theories (such as supergravity theories), a brane is a physical object that generalizes the notion of a zero-dimensional point particle, a one-dimensional string, or a two-dimensional membrane to higher-dimensional objects. Branes are dynamical objects which can propagate through spacetime according to the rules of quantum mechanics. They have mass and can have other attributes such as charge.
Mathematically, branes can be represented within categories, and are studied in pure mathematics for insight into homological mirror symmetry and noncommutative geometry.
The word "brane" originated in 1987 as a contraction of "membrane".[1]
- ^ "brane". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)