What is the recommended resource for learning the basics of AdS/CFT?

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I'm looking to start learning the basics of AdS/CFT, in particular AdS/CFT integrability, over the summer before I start grad school. By the time I finish my undergrad I will have a good background in QFT (first 12 chapters of Peskin & Schroeder), GR (Sean Carroll's notes and Wald), quantum integrability (doing a research project in this area) as well as various pure maths subjects (relevant ones probably being algebraic topology, functional analysis and representation theory). I know a little CFT already but not much. I don't know any Super Yang Mills yet either.

I'm looking for everything I need to get acquainted with AdS/CFT. I've looked at the review papers by Beisert et al but the non-integrability stuff is a bit over my head. I'm guessing Strings are necessary. Please list any books, review papers etc I should look at. Thanks!
 
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This one is quite easy to read, but has not so much about integrability.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0909.0518
Holographic duality with a view toward many-body physics
John McGreevy
 
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I like that one. It has a lot of intuitive reasoning.
 
I've tried many introductions to AdS/CFT, including the ones mentioned above, but until recently neither of them really worked for me. They all created more confusion than understanding to me.

But a few days ago I discovered Natsuume's "AdS/CFT Duality User Guide", available both as a published book
https://www.amazon.com/dp/4431554408/?tag=pfamazon01-20
and a free arXiv paper
http://lanl.arxiv.org/abs/1409.3575
That was a true revelation! By rading Natsuume with his brilliant pedagogic style, now I finally start to really understand AdS/CFT. I strongly recommend it to all beginners in AdS/CFT, as the best existing introduction to the subject currently known to me. If you liked Zwiebach for string theory, there are good chances that you will equally like Natsuume for AdS/CFT.
 
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Demystifier said:
I've tried many introductions to AdS/CFT, including the ones mentioned above, but until recently neither of them really worked for me. They all created more confusion than understanding to me.

But a few days ago I discovered Natsuume's "AdS/CFT Duality User Guide", available both as a published book
https://www.amazon.com/dp/4431554408/?tag=pfamazon01-20
and a free arXiv paper
http://lanl.arxiv.org/abs/1409.3575
That was a true revelation! By rading Natsuume with his brilliant pedagogic style, now I finally start to really understand AdS/CFT. I strongly recommend it to all beginners in AdS/CFT, as the best existing introduction to the subject currently known to me. If you liked Zwiebach for string theory, there are good chances that you will equally like Natsuume for AdS/CFT.
I discovered it last week, I still haven't read through it, I have other books on my reading list.
 
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