
Loop Dynamics and a Geometric Solution of Planar QCD, Lecture V: Transitioning from Phase Space of Quark Loop to Twistor Space and Extracting the Exact Geometric Mass Spectrum via Twistor Monodromies and Catastrophe Theory
Alexander Migdal of the Institute for Advanced Study continues his series on planar QCD with a session on the geometric structure hiding inside the quark loop. He walks through the transition from the phase space description of the loop into twistor space, then shows how the exact mass spectrum can be extracted using twistor monodromies combined with catastrophe theory. The talk is the fifth in a sequence delivered at IAS's informal Matrix Pizza Night seminar, and it assumes familiarity with the earlier lectures' setup of loop dynamics and the geometric approach to solving planar QCD. Migdal works through the mathematics on the board, building the monodromy argument step by step toward the mass spectrum result rather than presenting a polished summary. At roughly two hours, it is a working seminar for researchers tracking a specific technical program, not an introduction to quantum chromodynamics.