Gauge-string duality has provided a powerful framework for the study of strongly coupled gauge theories and non-perturbative string models. This thesis analyzes the holographic description of non-local gauge theory operators and some aspects of the Bagger-Lambert theory. The latter, as a proposal for a multiple M2-branes effective theory, is conjectured to be the holographic dual of a compactification of M-theory. We show that all half-BPS Wilson loop operators in N=4 SYM - which are labeled by Young tableaus - have a gravitational dual description in terms of D5-branes or alternatively in terms of D3-branes in AdS5xS5. We prove that the insertion of a half-BPS Wilson loop operator in the N=4 SYM path integral is achieved by integrating out the degrees of freedom on a configuration of bulk D5-branes or alternatively on a configuration of bulk D3-branes. We construct a new class of supersymmetric surface operators in N=4 SYM and find the corresponding dual supergravity solutions. Consistency requires constructing N=4 SYM in the D7 supergravity background and not in flat space. This enlarges the class of holographic gauge theories dual to string theory backgrounds to gauge theories in non-trivial supergravity backgrounds. We write down a maximally supersymmetric one parameter deformation of the field theory action of Bagger and Lambert and we show that this theory on RxT2 is invariant under the superalgebra of the maximally supersymmetric Type IIB plane wave. It is argued that this theory holographically describes the Type IIB plane wave in the discrete light-cone quantization (DLCQ). Finally, we show by explicit computation that the Bagger-Lambert Lagrangian realizes the M2-brane superalgebra, including also two p-form central charges that encode the M-theory intersections involving M2-branes.

Gauge-string duality has provided a powerful framework for the study of strongly coupled gauge theories and non-perturbative string models. This thesis analyzes the holographic description of non-local gauge theory operators and some aspects of the Bagger-Lambert theory. The latter, as a proposal for a multiple M2-branes effective theory, is conjectured to be the holographic dual of a compactification of M-theory. We show that all half-BPS Wilson loop operators in N=4 SYM - which are labeled by Young tableaus - have a gravitational dual description in terms of D5-branes or alternatively in terms of D3-branes in AdS5xS5. We prove that the insertion of a half-BPS Wilson loop operator in the N=4 SYM path integral is achieved by integrating out the degrees of freedom on a configuration of bulk D5-branes or alternatively on a configuration of bulk D3-branes. We construct a new class of supersymmetric surface operators in N=4 SYM and find the corresponding dual supergravity solutions. Consistency requires constructing N=4 SYM in the D7 supergravity background and not in flat space. This enlarges the class of holographic gauge theories dual to string theory backgrounds to gauge theories in non-trivial supergravity backgrounds. We write down a maximally supersymmetric one parameter deformation of the field theory action of Bagger and Lambert and we show that this theory on RxT2 is invariant under the superalgebra of the maximally supersymmetric Type IIB plane wave. It is argued that this theory holographically describes the Type IIB plane wave in the discrete light-cone quantization (DLCQ). Finally, we show by explicit computation that the Bagger-Lambert Lagrangian realizes the M2-brane superalgebra, including also two p-form central charges that encode the M-theory intersections involving M2-branes.

We report on the first systematic study of correlation functions in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory using integrability techniques. In particular, we show how to compute three- and four- point functions of single-trace gauge-invariant operators at tree level in the SU(2) sector of the theory. Using the AdS/CFT correspondence, the correlation functions that we compute can be thought of as the joining or splitting of strings moving in AdS5 × S5. We show that when one (two) of the operators in the three-(four-)point function are taken to be small BPS operators, our weak coupling results match perfectly with the strong coupling results in the Frolov-Tseytlin limit. We conclude by presenting some results that will be needed to extend the methods presented in this thesis beyond the SU(2) sector of N=4 super Yang-Mills.

With the rapid development of Internet technology, as well as extensive use of broadband networks, the issues of network security are increasing. In order to deal with these complex issues, network adminstrators adopt firewalls, intrusion detection systems, intrusion prevention systems to prevent them, in addition, the collection and analysis of log are also very important. By the log analysis, administrators can understand the error messages generated by system and the abnormal behavior of external connections, and develop the corresponding security policy on the use of the security tools. The current log analyzer, besides default rules, administrators have to spend much time reviewing the syslog of their system in detail to set the corresponding rules for their system, and each analyzer has its own unique rules of definitions. The purpose of this study is to transform tens of thounds of logs into a small number of valuable patterns, classify these patterns into abnormal ones and normal ones, and sum up the logs corresponding with listed patterns to assist administrator to review. In this study, we adopt the concept of string similarity comparison, and do similarity comparison for each log to find out all patterns which presented by regular expression. After experimental evaluation, this study can indeed analyze and generate all patterns of logs automatically, and these patterns can be applies to a practical tool of network security.

Related problems of string indexing and sequence analysis have been widely studied for a long time. Recently, researchers turn to consider extended versions of these problems, which provides more realistic applications. In this dissertation, we focus on three problems of recent interest, which are (1)the indexing problem for scaled strings, (2)the merged longest common subsequence problem and its variant with blocks, and (3)the sequence alignment problem with weighted constraints. The indexing problem for scaled strings asks one to preprocess a text string T, so that the matched positions of a pattern string P in T, with some scales £\ applied to P, can be reported efficiently. In this dissertation, we propose efficient algorithms for indexing real scaled strings, discretely scaled strings, and proportionally scaled strings. Our indexing algorithms achieve either significant improvements to previous results, or the best known results. The merged longest common subsequence (merged LCS) problem aims to detect the interleaving relationship between sequences, which has important applications to genomic and signal comparison. In this dissertation, we propose improved algorithms for finding the merged LCS. Our algorithms for finding the merged LCS are also more efficient than the previous results, especially for large alphabets. Finally, the sequence alignment problem with weighted constraints is a newly proposed problem in this dissertation. For this new problem, we first propose an efficient solution, and then show that the concept of weighted constraints can be further used to solve many constraint-related problems on sequences. Therefore, our results in this dissertation have significant contributions to the field of string indexing and sequence analysis.

With the economic reform and liberalization that accompany the increasing demand in energy, China has surpassed Japan, becoming the second largest energy consuming nation all over the world. Energy from the Middle East and Africa should be delivered through the ocean route from Indian Ocean to the Strait of Malacca. China imported 203.8 million tons of oil in 2009, for an increase of 14.8%, having surpassed Japan and leaving the United States as the second largest oil consuming nation. For oil delivery and energy supply safety, China has much room for improvement in the capability of safeguarding long-distance delivery; a sophisticated cross-ocean navy has not yet been established. On one hand, China has built strongholds along the oil delivery route connecting the Middle East to China, which is the so-called ¡§string of pearls¡¨ strategy. The nations with diplomatic relations with China along the route, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Cambodia have cooperated with China to give it the right to build ports or to use their important ports to improve oil delivery safety. Developing a command of the sea has remained the ambition of China¡¦s navy in recent years. The substantial measures to gain control of the seas require a naval fleet equipped with long-term offshore combat capability. If conflicts occur in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, China¡¦s surface vessels probably can not handle them since they lack air superiority. Therefore, China proactively builds its cross-ocean naval fleet, including ushering in large surface vessels and submarines imported from Russia, or self-developed. China has also recently stated that the development of a functional aircraft carrier is part of the future direction for its cross-ocean naval force.

Cryptons are metastable bound states of fractionally-charged particles that arise generically in the hidden sectors of models derived from heterotic string. We study their properties and decay modes in a specific flipped SU(5) model with long-lived four-particle spin-zero bound states called tetrons. The expected masses and lifetimes of the neutral tetrons make them good candidates for cold dark matter (CDM), and a potential source of the ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) which have been observed, whereas the charged tetrons would have decayed in the early Universe. We calculate the spectra of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) in an ex¬plicit top-down model based on the decays of metastable neutral ‘crypton’ states. For all the decay operators, the total UHECR spectra are compatible with the available data. Also, the fractions of photons are compatible with all the published upper limits, but may be detectable in future experiments. We also construct several intersecting D-brane models on a variety of orientifold backgrounds. In particular, we construct flipped SU(5), Pati-Salam, and MSSM-like models. The phenomenological properties of these models are studied. For one model in particular, we find that we may explain the quark masses and mixings, the tau lepton mass, and generate small neutrino masses via the see-saw mechanism.

A novel method to enhance oil production during cyclic steam injection has been developed. In the Top-Injection and Bottom-Production (TINBOP) method, the well contains two strings separated by two packers (a dual and a single packer): the short string (SS) is completed in the top quarter of the reservoir, while the long string (LS) is completed in the bottom quarter of the reservoir. The method requires an initial warm-up stage where steam is injected into both strings for 21 days; then the LS is opened to production while the SS continues to inject steam for 14 days. After the initial warm-up, the following schedule is repeated: the LS is closed and steam is injected in the SS for 21 days; then steam injection is stopped and the LS is opened to production for 180 days. There is no soak period. Simulations to compare the performance of the TINBOP method against that of a conventional cyclic steam injector (perforated across the whole reservoir) have been made. Three reservoir types were simulated using 2-D radial, black oil models: Hamaca (9°API), San Ardo (12°API) and the SPE fourth comparative solution project (14°API). For the first two types, a 20x1x20 10-acre model was used that incorporated typical rock and fluid properties for these fields. Simulation results indicate oil recovery after 10 years was 5.7-27% OIIP with TINBOP, that is 57-93% higher than conventional cyclic steam injection (3.3-14% OIIP). Steam-oil ratios were also decreased with TINBOP (0.8-3.1%) compared to conventional (1.2-5.3%), resulting from the improved reservoir heating efficiency.

Treatise (D.M.A.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2003. / Vita. For 6 solo sopranos, women's chorus, string orchestra, percussion, harp, piano, and celesta. Accompanying tape includes recording of work.