G2 manifold
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- The title of this article is incorrect because of technical limitations. The correct title is G2 manifold.
A G2 manifold, also known as a Joyce manifold, is a seven-dimensional Riemannian manifold with holonomy group G2. The group <math>G_2<math> is one of the five exceptional simple Lie groups. It can be described as the automorphism group of the octonions, or equivalently, as a proper subgroup of SO(7) that preserves a spinor in the eight-dimensional spinor representation. G2 manifolds are Ricci-flat. The name is for Dominic Joyce.
These manifolds are important in string theory. They break the original supersymmetry to 1/8 of the original amount. For example, M-theory compactified on a <math>G_2<math> manifold leads to a realistic four-dimensional (11-7=4) theory with N=1 supersymmetry.
See also: Calabi-Yau manifold, Spin(7) manifoldTemplate:Math-stub