The Seiberg-Witten prepotentials for N=2 SUSY gauge theories with N_f<2N_c fundamental multiplets are obtained from conformal N_f=2N_c theory by decoupling 2N_c-N_f multiplets of heavy matter. This procedure can be lifted to the level of Nekrasov functions with arbitrary background parameters epsilon_1 and epsilon_2. The AGT relations imply that similar limit exists for conformal blocks (or, for generic N_c>2, for the blocks in conformal theories with W_{N_c} chiral algebra). We consider the limit of the four-point function explicitly in the Virasoro case of N_c=2, by bringing the dimensions of external states to infinity. The calculation is performed entirely in terms of representation theory for the Virasoro algebra and reproduces the answers conjectured in arXiv:0908.0307 with the help of the brane-compactification analysis and computer simulations. In this limit, the conformal block involving four external primaries, corresponding to the theory with vanishing beta-function, turns either into a 2-point or 3-point function, with certain coherent rather than primary external states.
Painlevè equation for conformal blocks is a combined corollary of integrability and Ward identities, which can be explicitly revealed in the matrix model realization of AGT relations. We demonstrate this in some detail, both for $q$-Painlevè equations for the $q$-Virasoro conformal block, or AGT dual gauge theory in $5d$, and for ordinary Painlevè equations, or AGT dual gauge theory in $4d$. Especially interesting is the continuous limit from $5d$ to $4d$ and its description at the level of equations for eight $τ$-functions. Half of these equations are governed by integrability and another hal…
We study five dimensional AGT correspondence by means of the q-deformed beta-ensemble technique. We provide a special basis of states in the q-deformed CFT Hilbert space consisting of generalized Macdonald polynomials, derive the loop equations for the beta-ensemble and obtain the factorization formulas for the corresponding matrix elements. We prove the spectral duality for Nekrasov functions and discuss its meaning for conformal blocks. We also clarify the relation between topological strings and q-Liouville vertex operators.
This is the 12th article in the collection of reviews "Exact results on N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories" ed. J. Teschner. This article describes one way to understand an important part of the AGT-correspondence in terms of a triality between four-dimensional gauge theory, the two-dimensional theory of its vortices, and conformal field theory. This triality is related to, and inspired by known large $N$ dualities of the topological string. It leads to a proof of some cases of the AGT-correspondence, and most importantly, of a generalisation of this correspondence to certain five-dimensional g…
The actual definition of the Nekrasov functions participating in the AGT relations implies a peculiar choice of contours in the LMNS and Dotsenko-Fateev integrals. Once made explicit and applied to the original triply-deformed (6-dimensional) version of these integrals, this approach reduces the AGT relations to symmetry in q_{1,2,3}, which is just an elementary identity for an appropriate choice of the integration contour (which is, however, a little non-traditional). We illustrate this idea with the simplest example of N=(1,1) U(1) SYM in six dimensions, however, all other cases can be evide…
Let ${\mathcal B}^{\, p, \, p^{\prime}, \, {\mathcal H}}_{N, n}$ be a conformal block, with $n$ consecutive channels $χ_ı$, $ı= 1, \cdots, n$, in the conformal field theory $\mathcal{M}^{\, p, \, p^{\prime}}_N \! \times \! \mathcal{M}^{\mathcal{H}}$, where $\mathcal{M}^{\, p, \, p^{\prime}}_N$ is a $\mathcal{W}_N$ minimal model, generated by chiral fields of spin $1, \cdots, N$, and labeled by two co-prime integers $p$ and $p^{\prime}$, $1 < p < p^{\prime}$, while $\mathcal{M}^{\mathcal{H}}$ is a free boson conformal field theory. $\mathcal{B}^{\, p, \, p^{\prime}, \mathcal{H}}_{N, n}$ is the …
Recursion relations for the sphere $4$-point and torus $1$-point ${\cal W}_3$ conformal blocks, generalizing Alexei Zamolodchikov's famous relation for the Virasoro conformal blocks are proposed. One of these relations is valid for any 4-point conformal block with two arbitrary and two special primaries with charge parameters proportional to the highest weight of the fundamental irrep of $SU(3)$. The other relation is designed for the torus conformal block with a special (in above mentioned sense) primary field insertion. AGT relation maps the sphere conformal block and the torus block to the …
It is shown that the deformed Seiberg-Witten curve equation after Fourier transform is mapped into a differential equation for the AGT dual 2d CFT cnformal block containing an extra completely degenerate field. We carefully match parameters in two sides of duality thus providing not only a simple independent prove of the AGT correspondence in Nekrasov-Shatashvili limit, but also an extension of AGT to the case when a secondary field is included in the CFT conformal block. Implications of our results in the study of monodromy problems for a large class of $n$'th order Fuchsian differential equa…
We propose a Nekrasov-type formula for the instanton partition functions of four-dimensional N=2 U(2) gauge theories coupled to (A_1,D_{2n}) Argyres-Douglas theories. This is carried out by extending the generalized AGT correspondence to the case of U(2) gauge group, which requires us to define irregular states of the direct sum of Virasoro and Heisenberg algebras. Using our formula, one can evaluate the contribution of the (A_1,D_{2n}) theory at each fixed point on the U(2) instanton moduli space. As an application, we evaluate the instanton partition function of the (A_3,A_3) theory to find …
It was recently conjectured that the AGT correspondence between the $U(r)$-instanton counting on $\mathbb R^4/\mathbb Z_p$ and the two-dimensional field theories with the conformal symmetry algebra $\mathcal A(r,p)$ can be considered as a root of unity limit of its K-theoretic analogue. From this point of view, the algebra $\mathcal A(r,p)$ and a special basis in its representation are limits of the Ding-Iohara algebra and the Macdonald polynomials respectively. In this paper we confirm this conjecture for the special case $r=1$. We uncover the implicit $\mathcal A(1,p)$ symmetry in this limit…
We compute the light asymptotic limit of $A_{n-1}$ Toda conformal blocks by using the AGT correspondence. We show that for certain class of CFT blocks the corresponding Nekrasov partition functions in this limit are simplified drastically being represented as a sum of a restricted class of Young diagrams. In the particular case of $A_{2}$ Toda we also compute the corresponding conformal blocks using conventional CFT techniques finding a perfect agreement with the results obtained from the Nekrasov partition functions.
MIPT（莫斯科物理技术学院）；Lebedev Physics Institute（列别杰夫物理研究所）；NRC “Kurchatov Institute”（库尔恰托夫国家研究中心）；Institute for Information Transmission Problems（信息传输问题研究所）；Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics（理论与实验物理研究所）
We prove the connection between the Nekrasov partition function of N=2 super-symmetric U(2) gauge theory with adjoint matter and conformal blocks for the Virasoro algebra, as predicted by the Alday-Gaiotto-Tachikawa relations. Mathematically, this is achieved by relating the Carlsson-Okounkov Ext vector bundle on the moduli space of rank 2 sheaves with Liouville vertex operators.Our approach is geometric in nature, and uses a new method for intersection-theoretic computations of the Ext operator.
It has been found that surface operators have a significant role in AGT relation. This duality is an outstanding consequence of M-theory, but it is actually encoded into the brane web for which the topological string can work. From this viewpoint, the surface defect in AGT relation is geometrically engineered as a toric brane realization. Also, there is a class of the brane configuration in M-theory called M-strings which can be translated into the language of the topological string. In this work, we propose a new M-string configuration which can realize AGT relation in the presence of the sur…
We construct the action of the q-deformed W-algebra on its level r representation geometrically, using the moduli space of U(r) instantons on the plane and the double shuffle algebra. We give an explicit LDU decomposition for the action of W-algebra currents in the fixed point basis of the level r representation, and prove a relation between the Carlsson-Okounkov Ext operator and intertwiners for the deformed W-algebra. We interpret this result as a q-deformed version of the AGT-W relations.
We extend the definition of the refined topological vertex C to an n-coloured refined topological vertex C_n that depends on n free bosons, and compute the 5D strip partition function made of N pairs of C_n vertices and conjugate C*_n vertices. Using geometric engineering and the AGT correspondence, the 4D limit of this strip partition function is identified with a (normalized) matrix element of a (primary state) vertex operator that intertwines two (arbitrary descendant) states in a (generically non-rational) 2D conformal field theory with Z_n parafermion primary states.
We study 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ gauge theories with a co-dimension two full surface operator, which exhibit a fascinating interplay of supersymmetric gauge theories, equivariant Gromov-Witten theory and geometric representation theory. For pure Yang-Mills and $\mathcal{N}=2^*$ theory, we describe a full surface operator as the 4d gauge theory coupled to a 2d $\mathcal{N}=(2,2)$ gauge theory. By supersymmetric localizations, we present the exact partition functions of both 4d and 2d theories which satisfy integrable equations. In addition, the form of the structure constants with a semi-degenerate …
Recently, an intriguing family of the one-point toric conformal blocks AGT related to the $\mathcal{N}=2^*\,\, SU(2)$ Nekrasov functions was discovered by M. Beccaria and G. Macorini. Members of the family are distinguished by having only finite amount of poles as functions of the intermediate dimension/v.e.v. in gauge theory. Another remarkable property is that these conformal blocks/Nekrasov functions can be found in closed form to all orders in the coupling expansion. In the present paper we use Zamolodchikov's recurrence equation to systematically account for these exceptional conformal bl…
We discuss the resummation procedure of the superpotential in 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ SYM theory without matter from the point of view of 2d Liouville conformal field theory, utilizing the AGT correspondence. We identify contributions of different descendants of the intermediate state, defining a conformal block in CFT, to the superpotential and answer the question, which descendants are responsible for the appearance of the branch cuts in the superpotential.
In this paper, we analyze Virasoro conformal blocks in the limit when the operator exchange dimension is taking to be large in comparison with the other parameters dependence of the block. We do this by using Zamolodchikov's recursion relations. We found a dramatically simplified solution at leading order in an inverse power expansion in large exchange conformal dimension in terms of a quasi-modular form in an Eisenstein series representation. We compare this solution with existing results obtained previously by using AGT correspondence.
