Chern-Simons theory and topological strings

Abstract

A review of the relation between Chern-Simons gauge theory and topological string theory on noncompact Calabi-Yau spaces is given. This relation has made it possible to give an exact solution of topological string theory on these spaces to all orders in the string coupling constant. Here the focus is on the construction of this solution, which is encoded in the topological vertex, and the implications of the physics of string/gauge theory duality for knot theory and for the geometry of Calabi-Yau manifolds.