Supersymmetric Gauge Theories and Matrix Models

Licentiate thesis, 2003

We discuss recent developments in supersymmetric field theory due to the conjecture of Dijkgraaf and Vafa relating the effective superpotential of such theories to the computation of an associated matrix model. We give a short survey of N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories and state the conjecture. The conjecture is extended to matter superfields in the fundamental representation and then tested by comparing field theory results and matrix model computations. We also discuss applications to dynamical supersymmetry breaking and baryonic corrections to the superpotential. A chapter is devoted to the matrix model computation. In the last chapter, dealing with a different subject within string theory, a short introduction to flux compactification of type II A string theory to three space-time dimensions is given.