We make an ansatz for the Mellin representation of the four-point amplitude of half-BPS operators of arbitrary charges at order $lambda^{-frac{5}{2}}$ in an expansion around the supergravity limit. Crossing symmetry and a set of constraints on the form of the spectrum uniquely fix the amplitude and double-trace anomalous dimensions at this order. The results exhibit a number of natural patterns which suggest that the bootstrap approach outlined here will extend to higher orders in a simple way.
We study non-planar correlators in ${cal N}=4$ super-Yang-Mills in Mellin space. We focus in the stress tensor four-point correlator to order $1/N^4$ and in a strong coupling expansion. This can be regarded as the genus-one four-point graviton amplitude of type IIB string theory on $AdS_5 times S^5$ in a low energy expansion. Both the loop supergravity result as well as the tower of stringy corrections have a remarkable simple structure in Mellin space, making manifest important properties such as the correct flat space limit and the structure of UV divergences.
We consider string theory on AdS$_3$ $times$ (S$^3$ $times$ S$^3$ $times$ S$^1)/mathbb Z_2$, a background supporting $mathcal N=(3,3)$ spacetime supersymmetry. We propose that string theory on this background is dual to the symmetric product orbifold of $mathcal S_0/mathbb Z_2$ where $mathcal S_0$ is a theory of four free fermions and one free boson. We show that the BPS spectra of the two sides of the duality match precisely. Furthermore, we compute the elliptic genus of the dual CFT and that of the supergravity limit of string theory and demonstrate that they match, hence providing non-trivial support for the holographic proposal.
We discuss some new simple closed bosonic string solutions in AdS_5 x S^5 that may be of interest in the context of AdS/CFT duality. In the first part of this work we consider solutions with two spins (S_1, S_2) in AdS_5. Starting from the flat-space solutions and using perturbation theory in the curvature of AdS_5 space, we construct leading terms in the small two-spin solution. We find corrections to the leading Regge term in the classical string energy and uncover a discontinuity in the spectrum for certain type of a solution. We then analyze the connection between small-spin and large-spin limits of string solutions in AdS_5. We show that the S_1 = S_2 solution in AdS_5 found in earlier papers admits both limits only in simplest cases of the folded and rigid circular strings. In the second part of the paper we construct a new class of chiral solutions in R_t x S^5 for which embedding coordinates of S^5 satisfy the linear Laplace equations. They generalize the previously studied rigid string solutions. We study in detail a simple nontrivial example.
We consider semiclassical computation of 3-point correlation functions of (BPS or non-BPS) string states represented by vertex operators carrying large charges in S5. We argue that the AdS5 part of the construction of relevant semiclassical solution involves the two basic ingredients: (i) configuration of three glued geodesics in AdS2 suggested by Klose and McLoughlin in arXiv:1106.0495 and (ii) a particular Schwarz-Christoffel map of the 3-geodesic solution in cylindrical (tau, sigma) domain into the complex plane with three marked points. This map is constructed using the expression for the AdS2 string stress tensor which is uniquely determined by the 3 scaling dimensions as noted by Janik and Wereszczynski in arXiv:1109.6262 (our solution, however, is different from theirs). We also find the S5 part of the solution and thus the full expression for the semiclassical part of the 3-point correlator for several examples: extremal and non-extremal correlators of BPS states and a particular correlator of small circular spinning strings in S3 part of S5. We demonstrate that for the BPS correlators the results agree with the large charge limit of the corresponding supergravity and free gauge theory expressions.
We study the four point function of the superconformal primary of the stress-tensor multiplet in four dimensional $mathcal{N}=4$ Super Yang Mills, at large t Hooft coupling and in a large $N$ expansion. This observable is holographically dual to four graviton amplitudes in type IIB supergravity on $AdS_5 times S^5$. We construct the most trascendental piece of the correlator at order $N^{-6}$ and compare it with the flat space limit of the corresponding two loops amplitude. This comparison allows us to conjecture structures of the correlator/amplitude which should be present at any loop order.