We continue our studies of the low-energy spectrum of N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory on a spatial three-torus. In two previous papers, we computed the spectrum of normalizable zero-energy states for all choices of gauge group and all values of the electric and magnetic 't Hooft fluxes, and checked its invariance under the SL_2(Z) S-duality group. In this paper, we refine the analysis by also decomposing the space of bound states into irreducible unitary representations of the SL_3(Z) mapping class group of the three-torus. We perform a detailed study of the S-dual pairs of theories with gauge groups Spin(2n+1) and Sp(2n). The predictions of S-duality (which commutes with the mapping class group) are fulfilled as expected, but the proof requires some surprisingly intricate combinatorial infinite product identities.
In three-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell gravity the electrostatic Banados-Teitelboim-Zanelli solution and the magnetostatic Hirschmann-Welch solution are connected by a duality mapping. Here we point out that a similar duality mapping exists among circularly symmetric electrostatic and magnetostatic spacetimes, and electric and magnetic stationary solutions, for a nonlinear electrodynamics coupled to three-dimensional Einstein gravity.
We develop an equivalence between two Hilbert spaces: (i) the space of states of $U(1)^n$ Chern-Simons theory with a certain class of tridiagonal matrices of coupling constants (with corners) on $T^2$; and (ii) the space of ground states of strings on an associated mapping torus with $T^2$ fiber. The equivalence is deduced by studying the space of ground states of $SL(2,Z)$-twisted circle compactifications of $U(1)$ gauge theory, connected with a Janus configuration, and further compactified on $T^2$. The equality of dimensions of the two Hilbert spaces (i) and (ii) is equivalent to a known id…
Duality symmetries are discussed for non-linear gauge theories of (n-1)-th rank antisymmetric tensor fields in general even dimensions d=2n. When there are M field strengths and no scalar fields, the duality symmetry groups should be compact. We find conditions on the Lagrangian required by compact duality symmetries and show an example of duality invariant non-linear theories. We also discuss how to enlarge the duality symmetries to non-compact groups by coupling scalar fields described by non-linear sigma models.
An intriguing connection, based on duality symmetry, between ordinary (commutative) Born-Infeld type theory and non-commutative Maxwell type theory, is pointed out. Both discrete as well as continuous duality transformations are considered and their implications for self duality condition and Legendre transformations are analysed.
Duality in supersymmetric SU(N) gauge theory with a symmetric tensor is studied using the technique of deconfining and Seiberg's duality. By construction the gauge group of the dual theory necessarily becomes a product group. In order to check the duality, several nontrivial consistency conditions are examined. In particular we find that by deforming along a flat direction, the duality flows to the Seiberg's duality of SO(N) gauge theory.
T-duality has been shown to arise from a gauge symmetry in some string theories. However, in the case of \IIA\ compactified on a circle, it is not possible to show that this is the case. This situation is rather uncomfortable since string string duality suggests that all T-dualities should arise from a gauge symmetry. Here we show that the T-duality of \IIA\ compactified on a circle arises from the reparametrization of the supermembrane. Then we show how this reparametrization can be understood in terms of a gauge symmetry of the supermembrane, thus allowing to connect T-duality in \II\ to a g…
Many two-dimensional classical field theories have hidden symmetries that form an infinite-dimensional algebra. For those examples that correspond to effective descriptions of compactified superstring theories, the duality group is expected to be a large discrete subgroup of the hidden symmetry group. With this motivation, we explore the hidden symmetries of principal chiral models and symmetric space models.
We prove that a sum of free non-covariant duality-symmetric actions does not allow consistent, continuous and local self-interactions that deform the gauge transformations. For instance, non-Abelian deformations are not allowed, even in 4 dimensions where Yang-Mills type interactions of 1-forms are allowed in the non-manifestly duality-symmetric formulation. This suggests that non-Abelian duality should require to leave the standard formalism of perturbative local field theories. The analyticity of self-interactions for a single duality-symmetric gauge field in four dimensions is also analyzed…
We present a new class of matrix models which are manifestly symmetric under the T-duality transformation of the target space. The models may serve as a nonperturbative regularization for the T-duality symmetry in continuum string theory. In particular, it now becomes possible to extract winding modes explicitly in terms of extended matrix variables.
We review the recently constructed `double field theory' which introduces in addition to the conventional coordinates associated to momentum modes coordinates associated to winding modes. Thereby, T-duality becomes a global symmetry of the theory, which can be viewed as an `O(D,D) covariantization' of the low-energy effective space-time action of closed string theory. We discuss its symmetries with a special emphasis on the relation between global duality symmetries and local gauge symmetries.
Duality groups as (spontaneously broken) gauge symmetries for toroidal backgrounds, and their role in ($\infty$-dimensional) underlying string gauge algebras are reviewed. For curved backgrounds, it is shown that there is a duality in the moduli space of WZNW sigma-models, that can be interpreted as a broken gauge symmetry. In particular, this duality relates the backgrounds corresponding to axially gauged abelian cosets, $G/U(1)_a$, to vectorially gauged abelian cosets, $G/U(1)_v$. Finally, topology change in the moduli space of WZNW sigma-models is discussed.
Starting from the bosonic sector of the M-theory super-five-brane we obtain the action for duality-symmetric three-brane and construct the consistent coupling of the proposed action with the bosonic sector of type IIB supergravity.
Based on the U(1) gauge potential decomposition theory and $ϕ$-mapping theory, the topological inner structure of the self-duality (Bogomol'nyi-type) equations are studied. The special form of the gauge potential decomposition is obtained directly from the first of the self-duality equations. Using this decomposition, the topological inner structure of the Chern-Simons-Higgs (CSH) vortex is discussed. Furthermore, we obtain a rigorous self-dual equation with topological term for the first time, in which the topological term has been ignored by other physicists.
Extending earlier results on the duality symmetries of three-brane probe theories we define the duality subgroup of SL(2,Z) as the symmetry group of the background 7-branes configurations. We establish that the action of Weyl reflections is implemented on junctions by brane transpositions that amount to exchanging branes that can be connected by open strings. This enables us to characterize duality groups of brane configurations by a map to the symmetry group of the Dynkin diagram. We compute the duality groups and their actions for all localizable 7-brane configurations. Surprisingly, for the…
We discuss the different discrete duality symmetries in six dimensions that act within and between (i) the 10-dimensional heterotic string compactified on $T^4$, (ii) the 10-dimensional Type IIA string compactified on $K3$ and (iii) the 10-dimensional Type IIB string compactified on $K3$. In particular we show that the underlying group-theoretical structure of these discrete duality symmetries is determined by the proper cubic group ${\cal C}/\Z_2$. Our group theoretical interpretation leads to simple rules for constructing the explicit form of the different discrete Type II duality symmetries…
The equations of motion of the massless sector of the two dimensional string theory, obtained by compactifying the heterotic string theory on an eight dimensional torus, is known to have an affine o(8,24) symmetry algebra generating an O(8,24) loop group. In this paper we study how various known discrete S- and T- duality symmetries of the theory are embedded in this loop group. This allows us to identify the generators of the discrete duality symmetry group of the two dimensional string theory.
Anomalous U(1) gauge symmetries can appear both in heterotic and type I string theories. In the heterotic case we find a single anomalous U(1), while in open string theories several such symmetries can appear. Nonetheless, there is a conjectured duality symmetry that might connect these two theories. We review the properties of anomalous gauge symmetries in various string theories as well as the status of this heterotic-type I/II duality. We also comment on the possible phenomenological applications of anomalous gauge symmetries in string theory.
Superconformal sigma models with Calabi--Yau target spaces described as complete intersection subvarieties in toric varieties can be obtained as the low-energy limit of certain abelian gauge theories in two dimensions. We formulate mirror symmetry for this class of Calabi--Yau spaces as a duality in the abelian gauge theory, giving the explicit mapping relating the two Lagrangians. The duality relates inequivalent theories which lead to isomorphic theories in the low-energy limit. This formulation suggests that mirror symmetry could be derived using abelian duality. The application of duality …
We describe topological gauge theories for which duality properties are encoded by construction. We study them for compact manifolds of dimensions four, eight and two. The fields and their duals are treated symmetrically, within the context of field--antifield unification. Dual formulations correspond to different gauge-fixings of the topological symmetry. We also describe novel features in eight-dimensional theories, and speculate about their possible "Abelian" descriptions.
In this paper, we study the field transformation under U-duality in exceptional field theories. Take $SL(5)$ and $SO(5,5)$ exceptional field theories as examples, we explicitly show that the U-duality transformation is governed by the differential geometry of a corresponding Courant algebroid structure. The field redefinition specified by $SL(5)$ and $SO(5,5)$ transformations can be realized by Courant algebroid anchor mapping. Based on the existence of Courant algebroid in $E_d$ exceptional field theory, we expect that the Courant algebroid anchor mapping also exist in exceptional field theor…
A model of spherically symmetric SU(2) gauge theory is considered. The self-duality equations are written and it is shown that they are compatible with the Einstein-Yang-Mills equations. It is proven that this property is true for any gauge theory with curved base space-time and having a compact Lie group as structural group.
We suggest an alternative approach to deconfine N =1 SU(N) supersymmetric gauge theory with a symmetric tensor, fundamentals, anti-fundamentals, and no superpotential. It is found that although the dual prescription derived by this new method of deconfinement is different from that by the original method, both dual prescriptions are connected by duality transformations. By deforming the theory, it is shown that both dual theories flow properly so that the Seiberg's duality is preserved.
This is a brief review of the main results of our paper arXiv:1101.1759 that contains a complete global treatment of the compactified trigonometric Ruijsenaars-Schneider system by quasi-Hamiltonian reduction. Confirming previous conjectures of Gorsky and collaborators, we have rigorously established the interpretation of the system in terms of flat SU(n) connections on the one-holed torus and demonstrated that its self-duality symplectomorphism represents the natural action of the standard mapping class generator S on the phase space. The pertinent quasi-Hamiltonian reduced phase space turned …
Holographic quantum error correcting codes (HQECC) have been proposed as toy models for the AdS/CFT correspondence, and exhibit many of the features of the duality. HQECC give a mapping of states and observables. However, they do not map local bulk Hamiltonians to local Hamiltonians on the boundary. In this work, we combine HQECC with Hamiltonian simulation theory to construct a bulk-boundary mapping between local Hamiltonians, whilst retaining all the features of the HQECC duality. This allows us to construct a duality between models, encompassing the relationship between bulk and boundary en…
Van der Waerden's (VDW) colouring theorem in combinatoric number theory [1] has scope for physical applications.The solution of the two colour case has enabled the construction of an explicit mapping of an infinite, one dimensional antiferromagnetic Ising system to an effective pseudo- ferromagnetic one with the coupling constants in the two cases becoming related [2].Here the three colour problem is solved and the results are used to obtain new insights in the theory of complex lattices, particularly those relating to ternary alloys. The existence of these mappings of a multicolour lattice on…
A class of mathematical dualities have played a central role in mapping states in gauge theory to states in the spacetime string theory dual. This includes the classical Schur-Weyl duality between symmetric groups and Unitary groups, as well as generalisations involving Brauer and Hecke algebras. The physical string dualities involved include examples from the AdS/CFT correspondence as well as the string dual of two-dimensional Yang Mills.
We study S-dualities in analytically continued SL(2) Chern-Simons theory on a 3-manifold M. By realizing Chern-Simons theory via a compactification of a 6d five-brane theory on M, various objects and symmetries in Chern-Simons theory become related to objects and operations in dual 2d, 3d, and 4d theories. For example, the space of flat SL(2,C) connections on M is identified with the space of supersymmetric vacua in a dual 3d gauge theory. The hidden symmetry "hbar -> - (4 pi^2)/hbar" of SL(2) Chern-Simons theory can be identified as the S-duality transformation of N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory …
It is shown how to break the symmetry of a Lagrangian with duality symmetry between electric and magnetic monopoles, so that at low energy, electric monopole interactions continue to be observed but magnetic monopole interactions become very highly suppressed to the point of effectively vanishing. The "zero-charge" problem of source-free electrodynamics is solved by requiring invariance under continuous, local, duality transformations, while local duality symmetry combined with local U(1)EM gauge symmetry leads naturally and surprisingly to an SU(2)D duality gauge group.
A large family of diffusive models of transport that has been considered in the past years admits a transformation into the same model in contact with an equilibrium bath. This mapping holds at the full dynamical level, and is independent of dimension or topology. It provides a good opportunity to discuss questions of time reversal in out of equilibrium contexts. In particular, thanks to the mapping one may define the free-energy in the non-equilibrium states very naturally as the (usual) free energy of the mapped system.
We discuss the spontaneous supersymetry breaking within the low-energy effective supergravity action of four-dimensional superstrings. In particular, we emphasize the non-universality of the soft supersymmetry breaking parameters, the $μ$-problem and the duality symmetries.
It has recently been shown that the full automorphism group of the Leech lattice, Conway's group Co_0, can be generated by 3 x 3 matrices over the octonions. We show such matrices are of type F_4 in E_{6(-26)}, the U-duality group for N=2, D=5 exceptional magic supergravity. By mapping points of the Leech lattice to black hole charge vectors, it is seen Co_0 is generated by U-duality transformations acting as rotations in the charge space for BPS black holes.
A class of spectral problems with a hidden Lie-algebraic structure is considered. We define a duality transformation which maps the spectrum of one quasi-exactly solvable (QES) periodic potential to that of another QES periodic potential. The self-dual point of this transformation corresponds to the energy-reflection symmetry found previously for certain QES systems. The duality transformation interchanges bands at the bottom (top) of the spectrum of one potential with gaps at the top (bottom) of the spectrum of the other, dual, potential. Thus, the duality transformation provides an exact map…
We develop the idea of local duality symmetry (LDS) in gauge field theories. Using Clifford algebra techniques we construct dually invariant scalar Lagrangian of electrodynamics in the presence of sources and demonstrate that in tensor formalism it is exactly the same as the usual one. Then we localize the duality symmetry with two possible options for the appearing pseudovector field - massive and massless. The first option might be interpreted as a candidate for dark matter. Perspectives of the application of LDS in QCD are briefly discussed.
