We compute the one-loop non-holomorphic effective potential for the N=4 SU(n) supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with the gauge symmetry broken down to the maximal torus. Our approach remains powerful for arbitrary gauge groups and is based on the use of N=2 harmonic superspace formulation for general N=2 Yang-Mills theories along with the superfield background field method.
We present a novel expression for an integrated correlation function of four superconformal primaries in $SU(N)$ $mathcal{N}=4$ SYM. This integrated correlator, which is based on supersymmetric localisation, has been the subject of several recent developments. The correlator is re-expressed as a sum over a two dimensional lattice that is valid for all $N$ and all values of the complex Yang-Mills coupling $tau$. In this form it is manifestly invariant under $SL(2,mathbb{Z})$ Montonen-Olive duality. Furthermore, it satisfies a remarkable Laplace-difference equation that relates the $SU(N)$ to the $SU(N+1)$ and $SU(N-1)$ correlators. For any fixed value of $N$ the correlator is an infinite series of non-holomorphic Eisenstein series, $E(s;tau,bartau)$ with $sin mathbb{Z}$, and rational coefficients. The perturbative expansion of the integrated correlator is asymptotic and the $n$-loop coefficient is a rational multiple of $zeta(2n+1)$. The $n=1$ and $n=2$ terms agree precisely with results determined directly by integrating the expressions in one- and two-loop perturbative SYM. Likewise, the charge-$k$ instanton contributions have an asymptotic, but Borel summable, series of perturbative corrections. The large-$N$ expansion of the correlator with fixed $tau$ is a series in powers of $N^{1/2-ell}$ ($ellin mathbb{Z}$) with coefficients that are rational sums of $E_s$ with $sin mathbb{Z}+1/2$. This gives an all orders derivation of the form of the recently conjectured expansion. We further consider t Hooft large-$N$ Yang-Mills theory. The coefficient of each order can be expanded as a convergent series in $lambda$. For large $lambda$ this becomes an asymptotic series with coefficients that are again rational multiples of odd zeta values. The large-$lambda$ series is not Borel summable, and its resurgent non-perturbative completion is $O(exp(-2sqrt{lambda}))$.
We review the basic results concerning the structure of effective action in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory in Coulomb phase. Various classical formulations of this theory are considered. We show that the low-energy effective action depending on all fileds of N=4 vector multiplet can be exactly found. This result is discussed on the base of algebraic analysis exploring the general harmonic superspace techniques and on the base of straightforward quantum field theory calculations using the N=2 supersymmetric background field method. We study the one-loop effective action beyond leading low-energy approximation and construct supersymmetric generalization of Heisenberg-Euler-Schwinger effective action depending on all fields of N=4 vector multiplet. We also consider the derivation of leading low-enrgy effective action at two loops.
We analyse the one-loop effective action of N=4 SYM theory in the framework of the background field formalism in N=2 harmonic superspace. For the case of on-shell background N=2 vector multiplet we prove that the effective action is free of harmonic singularities. When the lowest N=1 superspace component of the N=2 vector multiplet is switched off, the effective action of N=4 SYM theory is shown to coincide with that obtained by Grisaru et al on the base of the N=1 background field method. We compute the leading non-holomorphic corrections to the N=4 SU(2) SYM effective action.
The exact expressions for integrated maximal $U(1)_Y$ violating (MUV) $n$-point correlators in $SU(N)$ ${mathcal N}=4$ supersymmetric Yang--Mills theory are determined. The analysis generalises previous results on the integrated correlator of four superconformal primaries and is based on supersymmetric localisation. The integrated correlators are functions of $N$ and $tau=theta/(2pi)+4pi i/g_{_{YM}}^2$, and are expressed as two-dimensional lattice sums that are modular forms with holomorphic and anti-holomorphic weights $(w,-w)$ where $w=n-4$. The correlators satisfy Laplace-difference equations that relate the $SU(N+1)$, $SU(N)$ and $SU(N-1)$ expressions and generalise the equations previously found in the $w=0$ case. The correlators can be expressed as infinite sums of Eisenstein modular forms of weight $(w,-w)$. For any fixed value of $N$ the perturbation expansion of this correlator is found to start at order $( g_{_{YM}}^2 N)^w$. The contributions of Yang--Mills instantons of charge $k>0$ are of the form $q^k, f(g_{_{YM}})$, where $q=e^{2pi i tau}$ and $f(g_{_{YM}})= O(g_{_{YM}}^{-2w})$ when $g_{_{YM}}^2 ll 1$ anti-instanton contributions have charge $k<0$ and are of the form $bar q^{|k|} , hat f(g_{_{YM}})$, where $hat f(g_{_{YM}}) = O(g_{_{YM}}^{2w})$ when $g_{_{YM}}^2 ll 1$. Properties of the large-$N$ expansion are in agreement with expectations based on the low energy expansion of flat-space type IIB superstring amplitudes. We also comment on the relation of $n$-point MUV correlators to $(n-4)$-loop contributions to the four-point correlator. In particular, we argue that it is important to ensure the $SL(2, mathbb{Z})$-covariance even in the construction of perturbative loop integrands.
We present $mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal $mathsf{U}(1)$ duality-invariant models for an Abelian vector multiplet coupled to conformal supergravity. In a Minkowski background, such a nonlinear theory is expected to describe (the planar part of) the low-energy effective action for the $mathcal{N}=4$ $mathsf{SU}(N)$ super-Yang-Mills (SYM) theory on its Coulomb branch where (i) the gauge group $mathsf{SU}(N)$ is spontaneously broken to $mathsf{SU}(N-1) times mathsf{U}(1)$; and (ii) the dynamics is captured by a single $mathcal{N}=2$ vector multiplet associated with the $mathsf{U}(1)$ factor of the unbroken group. Additionally, a local $mathsf{U}(1)$ duality-invariant action generating the $mathcal{N}=2$ super-Weyl anomaly is proposed. By providing a new derivation of the recently constructed $mathsf{U}(1)$ duality-invariant $mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal electrodynamics, we introduce its $mathsf{SL}(2,{mathbb R})$ duality-invariant coupling to the dilaton-axion multiplet.