An introduction to the SYK model

The Sachdev–Ye–Kitaev (SYK) model is a strongly coupled, quantum many-body system that is chaotic, nearly conformally invariant, and exactly solvable. This remarkable and, to date, unique combination of properties have driven the intense activity surrounding the SYK model and its applications within both high energy and condensed matter physics. In this review we give an introduction to the SYK model and recent developments connected to it. We discuss: SYK and tensor models as a new class of large N quantum field theories, the near-conformal invariance in the infrared, the computation of correlation functions, generalizations of the SYK model, and applications to AdS/CFT and strange metals. (topical review)