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A string duality identifies apparently different <string theory> descriptions as descriptions of the same physical system, with a map between their states, parameters and observables. It can exchange quantities interpreted very differently in the two descriptions, such as <momentum> and winding around a compact dimension.

<T-duality> relates a circle of radius $R$ to one of radius $\alpha'/R$ by interchanging momentum and winding quantum numbers. A small geometrical circle in one description can therefore correspond to a large one in another; comparing only the classical geometry would miss the matching spectrum. <S-duality> instead relates coupling regimes and can turn a difficult strong-coupling question into a weak-coupling one. A proposed duality needs a concrete dictionary and consistency checks; a coincidental equality of one calculation is insufficient to establish equivalence of full theories.


String duality

S-duality

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