TASI lectures on abelian and discrete symmetries in F-theory

Abstract

In F-theory compactifications, the abelian gauge sector is encoded in global structures of the internal geometry. These structures lie at the intersection of algebraic and arithmetic description of elliptic fibrations: While the Mordell-Weil lattice is related to the continuous abelian sector, the Tate-Shafarevich group is conjectured to encode discrete abelian symmetries in F-theory. In these notes we review both subjects with a focus on recent findings such as the global gauge group and gauge enhancements. We then highlight the application to F-theory model building.