Superstring theory and its successor, M-theory, hold promises of a deeper understanding of the Standard Model of particle physics, the unification of the four fundamental forces, the quantum theory of gravity, the mysteries of quantum black holes, Big Bang cosmology and, ultimately, their complete synthesis in a final theory of physics.

This volume records the proceedings of the major annual international conference on the subject, "Strings 2000", which involved 45 talks by the world's leading experts on string theory and M-theory. It will be of interest not only to researchers in the field...

Two theories revolutionized the 20th century view of space and time: Einstein's general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. Their union has given rise to elementary particle theories with extra spacetime dimensions, the inflationary model of big bang cosmology, the hypothesis of dark matter in the universe, the discovery of radiation from quantum black holes, and the fuzzy spacetime geometry of superstrings and M-theory. In this work, experts present developments in cosmology, theoretical physics and mathematics, and share their thoughts on the future of spacetime physics.

This volume comprises the contributions to the proceedings of Deserfest ? a festschrift in honor of Stanley Deser. Many of Stanley Deser's colleagues and longtime collaborators, including Richard Arnowitt and Charles Misner of ?ADM? fame, contribute insighted article. Ranging from lower dimensional gravity theories all the way to supergravity in eleven dimensions and M-theory, the papers highlight the wide impact that Deser has had in the field.