factual

Distance conjecture: extreme parameters give dual description

The distance (or duality) conjecture holds that whenever a parameter is pushed to an extreme value, a new classical dual description always emerges, and only two types occur: either some compact dimensions decompactify (grow large), or a tower of strings becomes light and nearly tensionless.

factualpending

Speaker

Cumrun Vafa

Evidence Quote

either some number of dimensions open up, or some strings become light and tensionless... This the general principle, what's sometimes called the distance conjecture, which means if you go a large distance in parameter space, you get some dual description.

Source

277 | Cumrun Vafa on the Universe According to String TheorySean Carroll's Mindscape
Created: 6/13/2026, 12:07:45 AM

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