Localization techniques in quantum field theories
This is the foreword to the special volume on localization techniques in quantum field theory. We summarize the individual chapters and their relation.
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arXiv subjects
Maxim Zabzine
Publications and source records attributed to Maxim Zabzine.
Gauge theories with 16 supersymmetries on spheres
We give a unified approach to localization of maximally symmetric gauge theories on spheres, including $S^6$ and $S^7$. The approach follows Pestun's method of dimensionally reducing from 10 dimensional super Yang-Mills. The resulting theories have a reduced $R$-symmetry which includes an $SU(1,1)$ subgroup, except in four dimensions where, because of conformal invariance, the full flat-space $R$-symmetry is maintained, and in seven dimensions where $SU(1,1)$ is the flat-space $R$-symmetry. For the case of $S^6$ and $S^7$ we discuss the localization of these theories and also present new results for the corresponding matrix models. The matrix models for $S^6$ and $S^7$ are qualitatively similar to the matrix models of a vector multiplet on $S^4$ and $S^5$ respectively. We also discuss the contributions of instantons in the six and seven dimensional cases.
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Modular properties of full 5D SYM partition function
We study properties of the full partition function for the $U(1)$ 5D $\mathcal{N}=2^*$ gauge theory with adjoint hypermultiplet of mass $M$. This theory is ultimately related to abelian 6D (2,0) theory. We construct the full non-perturbative partition function on toric Sasaki-Einstein manifolds by gluing flat copies of the Nekrasov partition function and we express the full partition function in terms of the generalized double elliptic gamma function $G_2^C$ associated with a certain moment map cone $C$. The answer exhibits a curious $SL(4,\mathbb{Z})$ modular property. Finally, we propose a set of rules to construct the partition function that resembles the calculation of 5D supersymmetric partition function with the insertion of defects of various co-dimensions.
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q-Virasoro constraints in matrix models
The Virasoro constraints play the important role in the study of matrix models and in understanding of the relation between matrix models and CFTs. Recently the localization calculations in supersymmetric gauge theories produced new families of matrix models and we have very limited knowledge about these matrix models. We concentrate on elliptic generalization of hermitian matrix model which corresponds to calculation of partition function on $S^3 \times S^1$ for vector multiplet. We derive the $q$-Virasoro constraints for this matrix model. We also observe some interesting algebraic properties of the $q$-Virasoro algebra.
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Knot Weight Systems from Graded Symplectic Geometry
We show that from an even degree symplectic NQ-manifold, whose homological vector field Q preserves the symplectic form, one can construct a weight system for tri-valent graphs with values in the Q-cohomology ring, satisfying the IHX relation. Likewise, given a representation of the homological vector field, one can construct a weight system for the chord diagrams, satisfying the IHX and STU relations. Moreover we show that the use of the 'Gronthendieck connection' in the construction is essential in making the weight system dependent only on the choice of the NQ-manifold and its representation.
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On twisted N=2 5D super Yang-Mills theory
On a five dimensional simply connected Sasaki-Einstein manifold, one can construct Yang-Mills theories coupled to matter with at least two supersymmetries. The partition function of these theories localises on the contact instantons, however the contact instanton equations are not elliptic. It turns out that these equations can be embedded into the Haydys-Witten equations (which are elliptic) in the same way the 4D anti-self-dual instanton equations are embedded in the Vafa-Witten equations. We show that under some favourable circumstances, the latter equations will reduce to the former by proving some vanishing theorems. It was also known that the Haydys-Witten equations on product manifolds $M_5=M_4\times \mathbb{R}$ arise in the context of twisting the 5D maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. In this paper, we present the construction of twisted $N=2$ Yang-Mills theory on Sasaki-Einstein manifolds, and more generally on $K$-contact manifolds. The localisation locus of this new theory thus provides a covariant version of the Haydys-Witten equation.
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5D Super Yang-Mills on $Y^{p,q}$ Sasaki-Einstein manifolds
On any simply connected Sasaki-Einstein five dimensional manifold one can construct a super Yang-Mills theory which preserves at least two supersymmetries. We study the special case of toric Sasaki-Einstein manifolds known as $Y^{p,q}$ manifolds. We use the localisation technique to compute the full perturbative part of the partition function. The full equivariant result is expressed in terms of certain special function which appears to be a curious generalisation of the triple sine function. As an application of our general result we study the large $N$ behaviour for the case of single hypermultiplet in adjoint representation and we derive the $N^3$-behaviour in this case.
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Gluing Nekrasov partition functions
In this paper we summarise the localisation calculation of 5D super Yang-Mills on simply connected toric Sasaki-Einstein (SE) manifolds. We show how various aspects of the computation, including the equivariant index, the asymptotic behaviour and the factorisation property are governed by the combinatorial data of the toric geometry. We prove that the full perturbative partition function on a simply connected SE manifold corresponding to an n-gon toric diagram factorises to n copies of perturbative Nekrasov partition function. This leads us to conjecture the full partition function as gluing n copies of full Nekrasov partition function. This work is a generalisation of some earlier computation carried out on $Y^{p,q}$ manifolds, whose moment map cone has a quadrangle and our result is valid for manifolds whose moment map cones have pentagon base, hexagon base, etc. The algorithm we used for dealing with general cones may also be of independent interest.
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Factorization of 5D super Yang-Mills on $Y^{p,q}$ spaces
We continue our study on the partition function for 5D supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory on toric Sasaki-Einstein $Y^{p,q}$ manifolds. Previously, using the localisation technique we have computed the perturbative part of the partition function. In this work we show how the perturbative part factorises into four pieces, each corresponding to the perturbative answer of the same theory on $\mathbb{R}^4 \times S^1$. This allows us to identify the equivariant parameters and to conjecture the full partition functions (including the instanton contributions) for $Y^{p,q}$ spaces. The conjectured partition function receives contributions only from singular contact instantons supported along the closed Reeb orbits. At the moment we are not able to prove this fact from the first principles.
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The perturbative partition function of supersymmetric 5D Yang-Mills theory with matter on the five-sphere
Based on the construction by Hosomichi, Seong and Terashima we consider N=1 supersymmetric 5D Yang-Mills theory with matter on a five-sphere with radius r. This theory can be thought of as a deformation of the theory in flat space with deformation parameter r and this deformation preserves 8 supercharges. We calculate the full perturbative partition function as a function of r/g^2, where g is the Yang-Mills coupling, and the answer is given in terms of a matrix model. We perform the calculation using localization techniques. We also argue that in the large N-limit of this deformed 5D Yang-Mills theory this matrix model provides the leading contribution to the partition function and the rest is exponentially suppressed.
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5D super Yang-Mills theory and the correspondence to AdS$_7$/CFT$_6$
We study the relation between 5D super Yang-Mills theory and the holographic description of 6D (2,0) superconformal theory. We start by clarifying some issues related to the localization of N=1 SYM with matter on $S^5$. We concentrate on the case of a single adjoint hypermultiplet with a mass term and argue that the theory has a symmetry enlargement at mass M=1/(2r), where r is the $S^5$ radius. However, in order to have a well-defined localization locus it is necessary to rotate M onto the imaginary axis, breaking the enlarged symmetry. Based on our prescription, the imaginary mass values are physical and we show how the localized path integral is consistent with earlier results for 5D SYM in flat space. We then compute the free energy and the expectation value for a circular Wilson loop in the large N limit. The Wilson loop calculation shows a mass dependent constant rescaling between weak and strong coupling. The Wilson loop continued back to to the enlarged symmetry point is consistent with a supergravity computation for an M2 brane using the standard identification of the compactification radius and the 5D coupling. If we continue back to the physical regime and use this value of the mass to determine the compactification radius, then we find agreement between the SYM free energy and the corresponding supergravity calculation. We also verify numerically some of our analytic approximations.
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Chiral de Rham complex on Riemannian manifolds and special holonomy
Interpreting the chiral de Rham complex (CDR) as a formal Hamiltonian quantization of the supersymmetric non-linear sigma model, we suggest a setup for the study of CDR on manifolds with special holonomy. We show how to systematically construct global sections of CDR from differential forms, and investigate the algebra of the sections corresponding to the covariantly constant forms associated with the special holonomy. As a concrete example, we construct two commuting copies of the Odake algebra (an extension of the N=2 superconformal algebra) on the space of global sections of CDR of a Calabi-Yau threefold and conjecture similar results for G_2 manifolds. We also discuss quasi-classical limits of these algebras.
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Generalized Kähler Geometry in (2,1) superspace
Two-dimensional (2,2) supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models can be described in (2,2), (2,1) or (1,1) superspaces. Each description emphasizes different aspects of generalized Kähler geometry. We investigate the reduction from (2,2) to (2,1) superspace. This has some interesting nontrivial features arising from the elimination of nondynamical fields. We compare quantization in the different superspace formulations.
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Twisted supersymmetric 5D Yang-Mills theory and contact geometry
We extend the localization calculation of the 3D Chern-Simons partition function over Seifert manifolds to an analogous calculation in five dimensions. We construct a twisted version of N=1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory defined on a circle bundle over a four dimensional symplectic manifold. The notion of contact geometry plays a crucial role in the construction and we suggest a generalization of the instanton equations to five dimensional contact manifolds. Our main result is a calculation of the full perturbative partition function on a five sphere for the twisted supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with different Chern-Simons couplings. The final answer is given in terms of a matrix model. Our construction admits generalizations to higher dimensional contact manifolds. This work is inspired by the work of Baulieu-Losev-Nekrasov from the mid 90's, and in a way it is covariantization of their ideas for a contact manifold.
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AKSZ construction from reduction data
We discuss a general procedure to encode the reduction of the target space geometry into AKSZ sigma models. This is done by considering the AKSZ construction with target the BFV model for constrained graded symplectic manifolds. We investigate the relation between this sigma model and the one with the reduced structure. We also discuss several examples in dimension two and three when the symmetries come from Lie group actions and systematically recover models already proposed in the literature.
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Introduction to Graded Geometry, Batalin-Vilkovisky Formalism and their Applications
These notes are intended to provide a self-contained introduction to the basic ideas of finite dimensional Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) formalism and its applications. A brief exposition of super- and graded geometries is also given. The BV-formalism is introduced through an odd Fourier transform and the algebraic aspects of integration theory are stressed. As a main application we consider the perturbation theory for certain finite dimensional integrals within BV-formalism. As an illustration we present a proof of the isomorphism between the graph complex and the Chevalley-Eilenberg complex of formal Hamiltonian vectors fields. We briefly discuss how these ideas can be extended to the infinite dimensional setting. These notes should be accessible to both physicists and mathematicians.
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Sheaves of N=2 supersymmetric vertex algebras on Poisson manifolds
We construct a sheaf of N=2 vertex algebras naturally associated to any Poisson manifold. The relation of this sheaf to the chiral de Rham complex is discussed. We reprove the result about the existence of two commuting N = 2 superconformal structures on the space of sections of the chiral de Rham complex of a Calabi-Yau manifold, but now calculated in a manifest N=2 formalism. We discuss how the semi-classical limit of this sheaf of N=2 vertex algebras is related to the classical supersymmetric non-linear sigma model.
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Wilson Lines from Representations of NQ-Manifolds
An NQ-manifold is a non-negatively graded supermanifold with a degree 1 homological vector field. The focus of this paper is to define the Wilson loops/lines in the context of NQ-manifolds and to study their properties. The Wilson loops/lines, which give the holonomy or parallel transport, are familiar objects in usual differential geometry, we analyze the subtleties in the generalization to the NQ-setting and we also sketch some possible applications of our construction.
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