Lorentzian symmetric spaces in supergravity

Abstract

I will discuss the emergence of Lorentzian symmetric spaces as supersymmetric supergravity backgrounds. I will focus on supergravity theories in dimension 11, 10, and 6, and will concentrate on the determination of the so-called maximally supersymmetric backgrounds, for which a classification exists up to local isometry. A special class of Lorentzian symmetric spaces also plays a rôle in the determination of parallelisable supergravity backgrounds in type II supergravity, which I will also summarise.