L'objectiu del projecte era el d'estudiar diversos aspectes dels forats negres en dimensions més altes que quatre. Concretament, volíem estudiar els anells negres en cinc dimensions amb l'objectiu de generalitzar les solucions existents i obtenir-ne de noves. En primer lloc hem construït un anell negre no supersimètric amb càrregues D1-D5-P mitjançant una sèrie de "boosts" i dualitats. Hem pogut construir aquesta nova solució gràcies al fet que hem utilitzat una solució de partida amb tres càrregues dipolars independents. En el límit supersimètric però només podem recuperar la solució supersimètrica amb tres càrregues conservades i dues càrregues dipolars. Hem obtingut una nova solució d'anell negre amb rotació a la dos-esfera. L'anell negre original en canvi presenta rotació i al llarg de la u-esfera. La nostra solució però presenta singularitats còniques. Ara bé, aquesta solució proporcionà evidències de l'existència d'un anell negre amb doble rotació. Hem construït també un saturn negre. Aquesta nova solució en cinc dimensions consta d'un forat negre de Myers-Perry envoltat per un anell negre. Per tal que la configuració estigui en equilibri, ambdós objectes presenten rotació independent al pla de l'anell. Hem obtingut aquesta solució exacta mitjançant el mètode de Belinsky-Zakharov.En el context de la correspondència AdS/CFT, hem estudiat la geometria dels forats negres supersimètrics en AdS(5). Totes les solucions conegudes estan determinades per un espai base de Kähler que depen, en principi, d'una funció arbitrària. Supersimetria imposa que aquesta funció hagi d'obeïr una equació de sisè ordre.Finalment, hem construït totes les solucions supersimètriques de supergravetat en onze dimensions (teoria M a baixes energies) amb un factor AdS(3). Aquestes solucions han de ser duals a teories superconformes amb diverses supersimetries. També hem fet una proposta sobre les propietats geomètriques globals de tota solució supersimètrica amb una teoria de camps dual. / The goal of this project was to study various aspects of higher dimensional black holes. More specifically, we wanted to study black rings in five dimensions with the objective of generalising the existing solutions and find new ones. In a first instance, we constructed a non-supersymmetric black ring with D1-D5-P charges by means of a sequence of boosts and dualities. In order to construct this solution, it was key to start with a seed solution with three dipole charges. In the supersymmetric limit, we can only recover the supersymmetric solution with three charges and two dipoles. We have constructed a black ring with a rotating two-sphere. The original black ring carried angular momentum along the S1. However, our solution has conical singularities. This solution gave evidence in favour of the existence of a doubly spinning black ring.We have also constructed a black saturn. This solution in five dimensions consists of a Myers-Perry black hole surrounded by a black ring. In order for this configuration to be in equilibrium, both black objects have to have rotation in the plane of the ring. We have contructed this solution by means of the Belinsky-Zakharov technique. In the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence, we have studied the geometry of the known supersymmetric AdS(5) black holes. All known solutions are determined by a K¨ahler base space which depends, in principle, on an arbitray function. Supersymmetry imposes that this function has to satisfy a sixth order differential equation.Finally, we have constructed all supersymmetric solutions of eleven-dimensional supergravity (M-theory at low energies) with an AdS(3) factor. These solutions should be dual to superconformal field theories with various supersymmetries. We have also formulated a proposal of the global geometric properties of all supersymmetric solutions with a field theory dual.

Among twentieth-century French playwrights, Jean Genet is one of the more elusive. His major plays, Le Balcon, Les Negres and Les Paravents, have elicited much literary criticism. However, seldom have critics closely examined the grammatical function of language in Genet's dramatic dialogue. This study attempts to focus upon one particular type of character, discovered through use of language, found in two of Genet's major plays, Les Negres and Le Balcon. It is an assessment of the manipulating character who uses certain rhetorical devices while attempting persuasion of another character. The method used borrows from Peter France's book, Racine's Rhetoric (1965)»an analysis of language used in seventeenth-century theatre. France's study examines persuasive rhetoric under two different rubrics: persuasive language in which speakers express overt emotions and covert emotions. We are limiting this study to that dialogue in Jean Genet's drama which reveals emotions, leaving to another study its complementary side. Rhetorical devices are here further confined to three groups only: imperatives, exhortations and insults. The study searches Genet's dramatic dialogue for effective uses of these rhetorical devices. The study examines such functional rhetoric in the two plays wherein manipulating characters are the most apparent, although similar techniques appeared earlier in Genet's shorter works, Haute surveillance and Les Bonnes. Role-playing, the most obvious in Les Negres, is found to be closely associated with attempted manipulation. Le Balcon is next studied, as the persuading characters are less obvious. The study finds that certain characters in Les Negres and Le Balcon attempt--and at times effectively manage--persuasion of other characters by use of imperatives, exhortations and insults. Imperatives are most often used to define a role, to direct role-playing or to define a group goal. Archibald and La Reine use imperatives for these purposes in Les Negres, as does Mme Irma in Le Balcon. We also watch L'Envoye1 per-saude Irma to assume the role of La Reine. Other manipulators in Le Balcon are Les Trois Photographes, who define roles for L'Eveque, Le Juge and Le GeSnSral. We find that FelicitS employs exhortation in order to instill a sense of pride in les negres. We also find that some exhortations--when single words or negatives—are ineffectual admonishment. Vertu attempts to sway Village's narrative in Les Negres, but with negative results. In Le Balcon, effective exhortationists are Irma, who manages to frighten Carmen into remaining within le Grand Balcon, and Roger, who attempts to keep Chantal from becoming the figure-head for the insurrection. Irma uses the repeated imperative—clear exhortation--and succeeds: Carmen remains. Roger uses the less forceful exhortation—admonishment--and Chantal eludes him. Even though the admonishing exhortation fails to sway its interlocutor, we find its use reveals a character's psychological motivation. The third rhetorical device, insult, is seen to operate effectively in Les Negres, as the "hatred of white" is an integral part of the play-within- the-play. There is no equivalent 'theme in Le Balcon; thus, the use of insult there is reduced to sparse name-calling. In so examining specific dialogue, the study adds depth to some of the rather puppet-like characters in two of Jean Genet's dramas, adding one facet to existing psychological analysis. This type of textual examination of dialogue could be rewarding in a future study of its alternate side: dialogue which conceals the emotions. In addition, an evolution may be discovered by examining dialogue in Genet's last play, Les Paravents, where the manipulating character seems to go underground, exchanging role-playing for a more straight-forward type of characterization. / Arts, Faculty of / French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies, Department of / Graduate