Integrable systems and supersymmetric gauge theory

Abstract

After the work of Seiberg and Witten, it has been seen that the dynamics of N=2 Yang-Mills theory is governed by a Riemann surface $Σ$. In particular, the integral of a special differential $λ_{SW}$ over (a subset of) the periods of $Σ$ gives the mass formula for BPS-saturated states. We show that, for each simple group $G$, the Riemann surface is a spectral curve of the periodic Toda lattice for the dual group, $G^\vee$, whose affine Dynkin diagram is the dual of that of $G$. This curve is not unique, rather it depends on the choice of a representation $ρ$ of $G^\vee$; however, different choices of $ρ$ lead to equivalent constructions. The Seiberg-Witten differential $λ_{SW}$ is naturally expressed in Toda variables, and the N=2 Yang-Mills pre-potential is the free energy of a topological field theory defined by the data $Σ_{\gg,ρ}$ and $λ_{SW}$.