arXiv subjects

Maxim Zabzine

Publications and source records attributed to Maxim Zabzine.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Lagrangian varieties from $q$-matrix models

We consider three specific $q$-deformed matrix models (the Chern-Simons, $q$-Laguerre, and $q$-Gaussian matrix models) which can be solved explicitly using the property of superintegrability. We show that one- and two-point functions of inverse characteristic polynomials can be interpreted as quantizations of Lagrangian subvarieties in $(\mathbb{C}^*)^2$ and $(\mathbb{C}^*)^4$, respectively. While such a geometric picture is expected for the Chern-Simons matrix model, our results for the $q$-Laguerre and $q$-Gaussian models are new and exhibit additional features. In particular, specific anti-symplectic birational involutions play an essential role in the construction. This reformulation provides a geometric framework for analyzing the semiclassical, large-$N$ expansion of matrix-model correlators. This picture is suggestive of the geometry underlying open topological strings, although the two constructions are not identical and the precise relation between them remains to be understood.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

3D gravity and double copy theory

We introduce a novel reformulation of three-dimensional gravity in terms of divergenceless vector frames, inspired by the double copy for Chern-Simons theory. This formulation is on-shell equivalent to conventional 3D gravity and provides a transparent geometric interpretation of the double-copy construction. We relate the resulting theory to a Chern-Simons-like action, propose a higher-dimensional origin, and explore extensions that give rise to $AdS_3$

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

The Symplectic Geometry of p-Form Gauge Fields

We formulate interacting antisymmetric tensor gauge theory in a configuration space consisting of a pair of dual field strengths which has a natural symplectic structure. The field equations are formulated as the intersection of a pair of submanifolds of this infinite-dimensional symplectic configuration space, one of which is a Lagrangian submanifold while the other is either a coisotropic or Lagrangian submanifold, depending on the topology. Chern-Simons interactions give the configuration space an interesting global structure. We consider in detail the example of a six-dimensional theory of a 3-form field strength coupled to Yang-Mills theory via a Chern-Simons interaction. Our approach applies to a broad class of gauge systems.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Off-shell double copy theories in BV

We present a construction of the double copy for gauge theories that exhibit off-shell color-kinematics duality within the Batalin-Vilkovitsky (BV) formalism. As illustrative examples, we consider the double copies of Chern-Simons theory, four-dimensional BF theory, and two-dimensional Yang-Mills theory, and we discuss possible gravity interpretations for these cases. We formalize the construction and demonstrate that Kodaira-Spencer gravity, K\"ahler gravity, and their generalizations, fit naturally within this framework. In particular, Kodaira-Spencer gravity emerges as a gauge theory describing deformations of generalized complex structures, while the double copy of Chern-Simons theory captures the deformation of the Courant bracket.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Symplectic cuts and open/closed strings I

This paper introduces a concrete relation between genus zero closed Gromov-Witten invariants of Calabi-Yau threefolds and genus zero open Gromov-Witten invariants of a Lagrangian $A$-brane in the same threefold. Symplectic cutting is a natural operation that decomposes a symplectic manifold $(X,ω)$ with a Hamiltonian $U(1)$ action into two pieces glued along an invariant divisor. In this paper we study a quantum uplift of the cut construction defined in terms of equivariant gauged linear sigma models. The nexus between closed and open Gromov-Witten invariants is a quantum Lebesgue measure associated to a choice of cut, that we introduce and study. Integration of this measure recovers the equivariant quantum volume of the whole CY3, thereby encoding closed Gromov-Witten invariants. Conversely, the monodromies of the quantum measure around cycles in Kähler moduli space encode open Gromov-Witten invariants of a Lagrangian $A$-brane associated to the cut. Both in the closed and the open string sector we find a remarkable interplay between worldsheet instantons and semiclassical volumes regularized by equivariance. This leads to equivariant generating functions of GW invariants that extend smoothly across the entire moduli space, and which provide a unifying description of standard GW potentials. The latter are recovered in the non-equivariant limit in each of the different phases of the geometry.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

Off-shell color-kinematics duality from codifferentials

We examine the color-kinematics duality within the BV formalism, highlighting its emergence as a feature of specific gauge-fixed actions. Our goal is to establish a general framework for studying the duality while investigating straightforward examples of off-shell color-kinematics duality. In this context, we revisit Chern-Simons theory as well as introduce new examples, including BF theory and 2D Yang-Mills theory, which are shown to exhibit the duality off-shell. We emphasize that the geometric structures responsible for flat-space color-kinematics duality appear for general curved spaces as well.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

$N=(2,2)$ superfields and geometry revisited

We take a fresh look at the relation between generalised Kähler geometry and $N=(2,2)$ supersymmetric sigma models in two dimensions formulated in terms of $(2,2)$ superfields. Dual formulations in terms of different kinds of superfield are combined to give a formulation with a doubled target space and both the original superfield and the dual superfield. For Kähler geometry, we show that this doubled geometry is Donaldson's deformation of the holomorphic cotangent bundle of the original Kähler manifold. This doubled formulation gives an elegant geometric reformulation of the equations of motion. We interpret the equations of motion as the intersection of two Lagrangian submanifolds (or of a Lagrangian submanifold with an isotropic one) in the infinite dimensional symplectic supermanifold which is the analogue of phase space. We then consider further extensions of this formalism, including one in which the geometry is quadrupled, and discuss their geometry.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

The Equivariant B model

In this work, we introduce an equivariant deformation of the $B$ model on the sphere with a $U(1)$-action. We present the deformed supersymmetry transformations and corresponding Lagrangians and study observables in the supercharge cohomology. The inclusion of equivariance allows for the introduction of novel, position-dependent observables on the sphere, which have no counterparts in the conventional $B$ model. Two specific cases we explore in detail are position-dependent superpotentials and complex structure deformations. In both instances, the theory exhibits notable differences from the standard $B$ model, revealing intriguing new features.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

Symplectic cuts and open/closed strings II

In arXiv:2306.07329 we established a connection between symplectic cuts of Calabi-Yau threefolds and open topological strings, and used this to introduce an equivariant deformation of the disk potential of toric branes. In this paper we establish a connection to higher-dimensional Calabi-Yau geometries by showing that the equivariant disk potential arises as an equivariant period of certain Calabi-Yau fourfolds and fivefolds, which encode moduli spaces of one and two symplectic cuts (the maximal case) by a construction of Braverman arXiv:alg-geom/9712024. Extended Picard-Fuchs equations for toric branes, capturing dependence on both open and closed string moduli, are derived from a suitable limit of the equivariant quantum cohomology rings of the higher Calabi-Yau geometries.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

$β$-ensembles and higher genera Catalan numbers

We propose formulas for the large $N$ expansion of the generating function of connected correlators of the $β$-deformed Gaussian and Wishart-Laguerre matrix models. We show that our proposal satisfies the known transformation properties under the exchange of $β$ with $1/β$ and, using Virasoro constraints, we derive a recursion formula for the coefficients of the expansion. In the undeformed limit $β=1$, these coefficients are integers and they have the combinatorial interpretation of generalized Catalan numbers. For generic $β$, we define the higher genus Catalan polynomials $C_{g,ν}(β)$ whose coefficients are integer numbers.

hep-th↗

arXiv2023

From equivariant volumes to equivariant periods

We consider generalizations of equivariant volumes of abelian GIT quotients obtained as partition functions of 1d, 2d, and 3d supersymmetric GLSM on $S^1$, $D^2$ and $D^2 \times S^1$, respectively. We define these objects and study their dependence on equivariant parameters for non-compact toric Kähler quotients. We generalize the finite-difference equations (shift equations) obeyed by equivariant volumes to these partition functions. The partition functions are annihilated by differential/difference operators that represent equivariant quantum cohomology/K-theory relations of the target and the appearance of compact divisors in these relations plays a crucial role in the analysis of the non-equivariant limit. We show that the expansion in equivariant parameters contains information about genus-zero Gromov-Witten invariants of the target.

hep-th↗

arXiv2023

Towards equivariant Yang-Mills theory

We study four dimensional gauge theories in the context of an equivariant extension of the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) formalism. We discuss the embedding of BV Yang-Mills (YM) theory into a larger BV theory and their relation. Partial integration in the equivariant BV setting (BV push-forward map) is performed explicitly for the abelian case. As result, we obtain a non-local homological generalization of the Cartan calculus and a non-local extension of the abelian YM BV action which satisfies the equivariant master equation.

hep-th↗

arXiv2022

Playing with the index of M-theory

Motivated by M-theory, we study rank n K-theoretic Donaldson-Thomas theory on a toric threefold X. In the presence of compact four-cycles, we discuss how to include the contribution of D4-branes wrapping them. Combining this with a simple assumption on the (in)dependence on Coulomb moduli in the 7d theory, we show that the partition function factorizes and, when X is Calabi-Yau and it admits an ADE ruling, it reproduces the 5d master formula for the geometrically engineered theory on A(n-1) ALE space, thus extending the usual geometric engineering dictionary to n>1. We finally speculate about implications for instanton counting on Taub-NUT.

hep-th↗

arXiv2022

Localizing non-linear ${\cal N}=(2,2)$ sigma model on $S^2$

We present a systematic study of ${\cal N}=(2,2)$ supersymmetric non-linear sigma models on $S^2$ with the target being a Kähler manifold. We discuss their reformulation in terms of cohomological field theory. In the cohomological formulation we use a novel version of 2D self-duality which involves a $U(1)$ action on $S^2$. In addition to the generic model we discuss the theory with target space equivariance corresponding to a supersymmetric sigma model coupled to a non-dynamical supersymmetric background gauge multiplet. We discuss the localization locus and perform a one-loop calculation around the constant maps. We argue that the theory can be reduced to some exotic model over the moduli space of holomorphic disks.

hep-th↗

arXiv2022

On refined Chern-Simons and refined ABJ matrix models

We consider the matrix model of $U(N)$ refined Chern-Simons theory on $S^3$ for the unknot. We derive a $q$-difference operator whose insertion in the matrix integral reproduces an infinite set of Ward identities which we interpret as $q$-Virasoro constraints. The constraints are rewritten as difference equations for the generating function of Wilson loop expectation values which we solve as a recursion for the correlators of the model. The solution is repackaged in the form of superintegrability formulas for Macdonald polynomials. Additionally, we derive an equivalent $q$-difference operator for a similar refinement of ABJ theory and show that the corresponding $q$-Virasoro constraints are equal to those of refined Chern-Simons for a gauge super-group $U(N|M)$. Our equations and solutions are manifestly symmetric under Langlands duality $q\leftrightarrow t^{-1}$ which correctly reproduces 3d Seiberg duality when $q$ is a specific root of unity.

hep-th↗

arXiv2022

Shifts of prepotentials (with an appendix by Michele Vergne)

We study the dynamics of supersymmetric theories in five dimensions obtained by compactifications of M-theory on a Calabi-Yau threefold X. For a compact X, this is determined by the geometry of X, in particular the Kahler class dependence of the volume of X determines the effective couplings of vector multiplets. Rigid supersymmetry emerges in the limit of divergent volume, prompting the study of the structure of Duistermaat-Heckman formula and its generalizations for non-compact toric Kahler manifolds. Our main tool is the set of finite-difference equations obeyed by equivariant volumes and their quantum versions. We also discuss a physical application of these equations in the context of seven-dimensional gauge theories, extending and clarifying our previous results. The appendix by M. Vergne provides an alternative local proof of the shift equation.

hep-th↗

arXiv2021

Virasoro constraints revisited

We revisit the Virasoro constraints and explore the relation to the Hirota bilinear equations. We furthermore investigate and provide the solution to non-homogeneous Virasoro constraints, namely those coming from matrix models whose domain of integration has boundaries. In particular, we provide the example of Hermitean matrices with positive eigenvalues in which case one can find a solution by induction on the rank of the matrix model.

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

On matrix models and their $q$-deformations

Motivated by the BPS/CFT correspondence, we explore the similarities between the classical $β$-deformed Hermitean matrix model and the $q$-deformed matrix models associated to 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric gauge theories on $D^2\times_{q}S^1$ and $S_b^3$ by matching parameters of the theories. The novel results that we obtain are the correlators for the models, together with an additional result in the classical case consisting of the $W$-algebra representation of the generating function. Furthermore, we also obtain surprisingly simple expressions for the expectation values of characters which generalize previously known results.

hep-th↗