Models of particle physics based on manifolds of G₂ holonomy are in most respects much more complicated than other string-derived models, but as we show here they do have one simplification: threshold corrections to grand unification are particularly simple. We compute these corrections, getting completely explicit results in some simple cases. We estimate the relation between Newton's constant, the GUT scale, and the value of $\alpha_{GUT}$, and explore the implications for proton decay. In the case of proton decay, there is an interesting mechanism which (relative to four-dimensional SUSY GUT's) enhances the gauge boson contribution to $p\to\pi^0e^+_L$ compared to other modes such as $p\to \pi^0e^+_R$ or $p\to \pi^+\bar\nu_R$. Because of numerical uncertainties, we do not know whether to intepret this as an enhancement of the $p\to \pi^0e^+_L$ mode or a suppression of the others.

Large N geometric transitions and the Dijkgraaf-Vafa conjecture suggest a deep relationship between the sum over planar diagrams and Calabi-Yau threefolds. We explore this correspondence in details, explaining how to construct the Calabi-Yau for a large class of M-matrix models, and how the geometry encodes the correlators. We engineer in particular two-matrix theories with potentials W(X,Y) that reduce to arbitrary functions in the commutative limit. We apply the method to calculate all correlators trX^p and trY^p in models of the form W(X,Y)=V(X)+U(Y)-XY$ and $W(X,Y)=V(X)+YU(Y^{2})+XY^{2}. The solution of the latter example was not known, but when U is a constant we are able to solve the loop equations, finding a precise match with the geometric approach. We also discuss special geometry in multi-matrix models, and we derive an important property, the entanglement of eigenvalues, governing the expansion around classical vacua for which the matrices do not commute.

We show that the Hamiltonian describing $N$ nonrelativistic electrons with spin, interacting with the quantized radiation field and several fixed nuclei with total charge $Z$, has a ground state when $N$ is less than $Z+1$. The result holds for any value of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ and for any value of the ultraviolet cutoff $\Lambda$ on the radiation field. There is no infrared cutoff. The basic mathematical ingredient in our proof is a novel localization of the electromagnetic field in such a way that the errors in the energy are of smaller order than $1/L$, where $L$ is the localization radius.

Relation between one-dimensional Schrodinger equation and the vacuum eigenvalues of the Q-operators is extended to their higher-level eigenvalues.

We compute topological correlators in Landau-Ginzburg models on a Riemann surface with arbitrary number of handles and boundaries. The boundaries may correspond to arbitrary topological D-branes of type B. We also allow arbitrary operator insertions on the boundary and in the bulk. The answer is given by an explicit formula which can be regarded as an open-string generalization of C. Vafa's formula for closed-string topological correlators. We discuss how to extend our results to the case of Landau-Ginzburg orbifolds.