No Arabic abstract
We consider the $mathcal{N}=2$ SYM theory with gauge group SU($N$) and a matter content consisting of one multiplet in the symmetric and one in the anti-symmetric representation. This conformal theory admits a large-$N$ t Hooft expansion and is dual to a particular orientifold of $AdS_{5}times S^{5}$. We analyze this gauge theory relying on the matrix model provided by localization a la Pestun. Even though this matrix model has very non-trivial interactions, by exploiting the full Lie algebra approach to the matrix integration, we show that a large class of observables can be expressed in a closed form in terms of an infinite matrix depending on the t Hooft coupling $lambda$. These exact expressions can be used to generate the perturbative expansions at high orders in a very efficient way, and also to study analytically the leading behavior at strong coupling. We successfully compare these predictions to a direct Monte Carlo numerical evaluation of the matrix integral and to the Pade resummations derived from very long perturbative series, that turn out to be extremely stable beyond the convergence disk $|lambda|<pi^2$ of the latter.
We consider $mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal quiver gauge theories in four dimensions and evaluate the chiral/anti-chiral correlators of single-trace operators. We show that it is convenient to form particular twisted and untwisted combinations of these operators suggested by the dual holographic description of the theory. The various twisted sectors are orthogonal and the correlators in each sector have always the same structure, as we show at the lowest orders in perturbation theory with Feynman diagrams. Using localization we then map the computation to a matrix model. In this way we are able to obtain formal expressions for the twisted correlators in the planar limit that are valid for all values of the t Hooft coupling $lambda$, and find that they are proportional to $1/lambda$ at strong coupling. We successfully test the correctness of our extrapolation against a direct numerical evaluation of the matrix model and argue that the $1/lambda$ behavior qualitatively agrees with the holographic description.
We derive exact formulae for the partition function and the expectation values of Wilson/t Hooft loops, thus directly checking their S-duality transformations. We focus on a special class of N=2 gauge theories on S^4 with fundamental matter. In particular we show that, for a specific choice of the masses, the matrix model integral defining the gauge theory partition function localizes around a finite set of critical points where it can be explicitly evaluated and written in terms of generalized hypergeometric functions. From the AGT perspective the gauge theory partition function, evaluated with this choice of masses, is viewed as a four point correlator involving the insertion of a degenerated field. The well known simplicity of the degenerated correlator reflects the fact that for these choices of masses only a very restrictive type of instanton configurations contributes to the gauge theory partition function.
In the beta-deformed N=4 supersymmetric SU(N) Yang-Mills theory we study the class of operators O_J = Tr(Phi_i^J Phi_k), i eq k and compute their exact anomalous dimensions for N,Jtoinfty. This leads to a prediction for the masses of the corresponding states in the dual string theory sector. We test the exact formula perturbatively up to two loops. The consistency of the perturbative calculation with the exact result indicates that in the planar limit the one--loop condition g^2=hbar{h} for superconformal invariance is indeed sufficient to insure the {em exact} superconformal invariance of the theory. We present a direct proof of this point in perturbation theory. The O_J sector of this theory shares many similarities with the BMN sector of the N=4 theory in the large R--charge limit.
We revisit two longstanding puzzles in supersymmetric gauge theories. The first concerns the question of the holomorphy of the coupling, and related to this the possible definition of an exact (NSVZ) beta function. The second concerns instantons in pure gluodynamics, which appear to give sensible, exact results for certain correlation functions, which nonetheless differ from those obtained using systematic weak coupling expansions. For the first question, we extend an earlier proposal of Arkani-Hamed and Murayama, showing that if their regulated action is written suitably, the holomorphy of the couplings is manifest, and it is easy to determine the renormalization scheme for which the NSVZ formula holds. This scheme, however, is seen to be one of an infinite class of schemes, each leading to an exact beta function; the NSVZ scheme, while simple, is not selected by any compelling physical consideration. For the second question, we explain why the instanton computation in the pure supersymmetric gauge theory is not reliable, even at short distances. The semiclassical expansion about the instanton is purely formal; if infrared divergences appear, they spoil arguments based on holomorphy. We demonstrate that infrared divergences do not occur in the perturbation expansion about the instanton, but explain that there is no reason to think this captures all contributions from the sector with unit topological charge. That one expects additional contributions is illustrated by dilute gas corrections. These are infrared divergent, and so difficult to define, but if non-zero give order one, holomorphic, corrections to the leading result. Exploiting an earlier analysis of Davies et al, we demonstrate that in the theory compactified on a circle of radius beta, due to infrared effects, finite contributions indeed arise which are not visible in the formal limit that beta goes to infinity.
We show that a proposed duality [arXiv:0711.0054] between infinitely coupled gauge theories and superconformal field theories (SCFTs) with weakly gauged flavor groups predicts the existence of new rank 1 SCFTs. These superconformal fixed point theories have the same Coulomb branch singularities as the rank 1 E_6, E_7, and E_8 SCFTs, but have smaller flavor symmetry algebras and different central charges. Gauging various subalgebras of the flavor algebras of these rank 1 SCFTs provides many examples of infinite-coupling dualities, satisfying an intricate set of consistency checks. They also provide examples of N=2 conformal theories with marginal couplings but no weak-coupling limits.