Localization principle is a powerful analytic tool in supersymmetric gauge theories which enables one to perform supersymmetric path integrals explicitly. Many important formulae have been obtained, and they led to a major breakthrough in the understanding of gauge theories at strong coupling as well as the dynamics of branes in M-theory. Some of those results are reviewed, focusing especially on Pestun's solution to four-dimensional N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories on S^4 and the subsequent developments on three or four-dimensional gauge theories on spheres.
This note gives a brief review of the integrable structures presented in the Seiberg-Witten approach to the N=2 SUSY gauge theories with emphasize on the case of the gauge theories with matter hypermultiplets included (described by spin chains). The web of different N=2 SUSY theories is discussed.
We consider an N=4 supersymmetric gauge theory on a curved space. We try to generalize Pestun's localization calculation on the four-sphere to a more general class of curved spaces. We calculated the Q-exact term to localize the path-integral, and when it becomes positive definite, we obtain a configuration where the path-integral localizes. We also evaluate the super Yang-Mills action in this configuration.
We review the Seiberg-Witten construction of low-energy effective actions and BPS spectra in SUSY gauge theories and its formulation in terms of integrable systems. It is also demonstrated how this formulation naturally appears from the compactified version of the theory with partially broken supersymmetry so that the integrable structures arise from the relation between bare and quantum variables and superpotentials of SUSY gauge theories. The Whitham integrable systems, literally corresponding to the uncompactified theory, are then restored by averaging over fast variables in the decompactif…
We comment on a recent puzzle regarding renormalization group invariance of exact results in SUSY theories, and argue that a purported renormalization of the dynamical scale Λdoes not in fact occur.
In this lecture we review some non-perturbative results obtained in globally supersymmetric theories and show how they can be obtained in the framework of topological theories.
We present a large set of new self-dual N=1 SUSY gauge theories. Examples include SU(N) theories with tensors and SO(N) theories with spinors. Using these dualities as starting points, new non-trivial duals can be derived by higgsing the gauge group or by integrating out matter. General lessons that can be learned from these duals are: ``accidental" infrared symmetries play an important role in duality, many theories have more than one ``dual", and there seems to be no simple organizing pattern which relates duals of theories with different number of flavors.
We study IR-renormalon divergences in N=1 supersymmetric Yang Mills gauge theories and in two dimensional non linear sigma models with mass gap. We derive, in both types of theories, a direct connection between IR- renormalons and fractional instanton effects. From the point of view of large $N$ dualities we work out a connection between IR-renormalons and $c=1$ matrix models.
This is the 9th article in the collection of reviews "Exact results on N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories", ed. J.Teschner. We review the exact computations in 3D N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories on the round or squashed $S^3$ and the relation between 3D partition functions and 4D superconformal indices.
We examine the procedure for integrating out heavy fields in supersymmetric (both global and local) theories. We find that the usual conditions need to be modified in general and we discuss the restrictions under which they are valid. These issues are relevant for recent work in string compactification with fluxes.
We describe the low-energy dynamics of N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories with the Dynkin index of matter fields less than or equal to the Dynkin index of the adjoint plus two. We explain what kinds of nonperturbative phenomena take place in this class of supersymmetric gauge theories.
We consider gauge field theories in $D>4$ following the Wilson RG approach and show that they possess the ultraviolet fixed points where the gauge coupling is dimensionless in any space-time dimension. At the fixed point the anomalous dimensions of the field and vertex operators are known exactly. These fixed points are nonperturbative and correspond to conformal invariant theories. The same phenomenon also happens in supersymmetric theories with the Yukawa type interactions.
Five and six dimensional SUSY gauge theories, with one or two compactified directions, are discussed. The 5d theories with the matter hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation are associated with the twisted $XXZ$ spin chain, while the group product case with the bi-fundamental matter corresponds to the higher rank spin chains. The Riemann surfaces for $6d$ theories with fundamental matter and two compact directions are proposed to correspond to the $XYZ$ spin chain based on the Sklyanin algebra. We also discuss the obtained results within the brane and geometrical engeneering framewor…
In the previous work, it was shown that, in supersymmetric (matrix) discretized quantum mechanics, inclusion of an external field twisting the boundary condition of fermions enables us to discuss spontaneous breaking of supersymmetry (SUSY) in the path-integral formalism in a well-defined way. In the present work, we continue investigating the same systems from the points of view of localization and Nicolai mapping. The localization is studied by changing of integration variables in the path integral, which is applicable whether or not SUSY is explicitly broken. We examine in detail how the in…
I review the appearence of integrable structures in the formulation of exact nonperturbative solutions to $4d$ supersymmetric quantum gauge theories. Various examples of ${\cal N}\geq 2$ SUSY Yang-Mills nonperturbative solutions are adequately described in terms of the (deformations of the) finite-gap solutions to integrable models: through the generating differential and the $τ$-function. One of the basic definitions of generating differential is discussed and its role in the theory of integrable systems is demonstrated.
We construct the Picard-Fuchs equations of the $N=2$ supersymmetric $SU(2)$ gauge theories with $N_f=0,1,3$ matter multiplets. For the $N_f=0$ theory from the solutions of the Picard-Fuchs equation the monodromy matrices on the quantum moduli space are determined. We analyze the Seiberg-Witten solutions to compute monodromies exactly and present the instanton expansion of the periods for the $N_f=0,3$ theories.
We discuss the brane interpretation of the integrable dynamics behind the exact solution to the N=2 SUSY YM theory. Degrees of freedom in the first integrable system responsible for the spectral Riemann surfaces comes from the hidden Higgs branch of the moduli space. The second integrable system of the Whitham type yields the dynamics on the Coulomb branch and can be considered as the scattering of branes.
The Veneziano-Yankielowicz glueball superpotential for an arbitrary N=1 SUSY pure gauge theory with classical gauge group is derived using an approach following recent work of Dijkgraaf, Vafa and others. These non-perturbative terms, which had hitherto been included by hand in the above approach, are thus seen to arise naturally, and the approach is rendered self-contained. By minimising the glueball superpotential for theories with fundamental matter added, the expected vacuum structure with gaugino condensation and chiral symmetry breaking is obtained. Various possible extensions are also di…
We study instanton effects along the Coulomb branch of an N=2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with gauge group SU(2) on Asymptotically Locally Euclidean (ALE) spaces. We focus our attention on an Eguchi-Hanson gravitational background and on gauge field configurations of lowest Chern class.
Recently a non-perturbative formula for the RG flow between UV and IR fixed points of the coefficient in the trace of the energy momentum tensor of the Euler density has been obtained for N=1 SUSY gauge theories by relating the trace and R-current anomalies. This result is compared here with an earlier perturbation theory analysis based on a naturally defined metric on the space of couplings for general renormalisable quantum field theories. This approach is specialised to N=1 supersymmetric theories and extended, using consistency arguments, to obtain the Euler coefficient at fixed points to …
There is a close relation between duality in $N=2$ SUSY gauge theories and integrable models. In particular, the quantum moduli space of vacua of $N=2$ SUSY $SU(3)$ gauge theories coupled to two flavors of massless quarks in the fundamental representation can be related to the spectral curve of the Goryachev-Chaplygin top. Generalizing this to the cases with {\it massive} quarks, and $N_f = 0,1,2$, we find a corresponding integrable system in seven dimensional phase space where a hyperelliptic curve appears in the Painlevé test. To understand the stringy origin of the integrability of these th…
We study 4d $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric theories on a compact Euclidean manifold of the form $S^1 \times\mathcal{M}_3$. Partition functions of gauge theories on this background can be computed using localization, and explicit formulas have been derived for different choices of the compact manifold $\mathcal{M}_3$. Taking the limit of shrinking $S^1$, we present a general formula for the limit of the localization integrand, derived by simple effective theory considerations, generalizing the result of arXiv:1512.03376. The limit is given in terms of an effective potential for the holonomies a…
We study the leading irrelevant operators along the flat directions of certain supersymmetric theories. In particular, we focus on finite N=2 (including N=4) supersymmetric field theories in four dimensions and show that these operators are completely determined by the symmetries of the problem. This shows that they are generated only at one loop and are not renormalized beyond this order. An instanton computation in similar three dimensional theories shows that these terms are renormalized. Hence, the four dimensional non-renormalization theorem of these terms is not valid in three dimensions…
The well-known Chiral and Gauge SUSY Actions realize the SUSY charge in terms of transformations among the Fields. These transformations are included in the Master Equation by coupling them to Sources. Here we show that there are new local SUSY Actions where the Chiral SUSY transformations are realized in terms of transformations among both Fields and Sources. These Actions can be easily obtained from the Chiral case by a very simple and local `Exchange Transformation', which carries along all the interactions without difficulty. For these new SUSY Actions, the SUSY charge does not exist in th…
We consider supersymmetric theories on a space with compact space-like slices. One can count BPS representations weighted by (-1)^F, or, equivalently, study supersymmetric partition functions by compactifying the time direction. A special case of this general construction corresponds to the counting of short representations of the superconformal group. We show that in four-dimensional N=1 theories the "high temperature" asymptotics of such counting problems is fixed by the anomalies of the theory. Notably, the combination a-c of the trace anomalies plays a crucial role. We also propose similar…
The low energy effective actions of the $N=2$ SUSY $SU(N_c)$ QCD are considered at the symmetric point on the moduli space. The classes of such theories have similar spectral curves. This fact allows us to show that all these models have the same structure of the coupling matrix and to show that the $N_f=2N_c$ spectral curve can not be presented as a double covering of the sphere. We calculate first instanton contributions to the coupling matrix and get nonperturbative $β$-functions in the $SU(2)$ gauge theory with non-zero bare masses of the matter hypermultiplets.
We give a simple proof of the relation $Λ\p_artialΛ\F= {i\over2π}b_1\langle\Trϕ^2\rangle$, which is valid for $N=2$ supersymmetric QCD with massless quarks. We consider $SU(N_c)$ gauge theories as well as $SO(N_c)$ and $SP(N_c)$. Aa analogous relation which corresponds to massive hypermultiplets is written down. We also discuss the generalizations to $N=1$ models in the Coulomb phase.
The role of associativity or WDVV equations in effective supersymmetric quantum theories is discussed and it is demonstrated that for wide class of their solutions when residue formulas are valid the proof of associativity equations can be reduced to solving the system of ordinary linear equations and depends only upon corresponding matching and nondegeneracy conditions. The covariance of WDVV equations upon generic duality transformations and the role of associativity equations in general context of quasiclassical integrable systems is also discussed.
The analysis of spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking of N=1 supersymmetric SU(N_c) Yang-Mills theory with matter is performed. The supersymmetric $R_ξ$-gauge is used and its non-local effects investigated. Superpropagators and vertices are computed, and it is shown that the non-local terms introduced by the $R_ξ$-gauge-fixing are well-behaved in general gauge at one-loop. It is argued that this feature generalizes to multiple loops.
We study Euclidean 3D N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories on squashed three-spheres preserving isometries SU(2) x U(1) or U(1) x U(1). We show that, when a suitable background U(1) gauge field is turned on, these squashed spheres support charged Killing spinors and therefore N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories. We present the Lagrangian and supersymmetry rules for general gauge theories. The partition functions are computed using localization principle, and are expressed as integrals over Coulomb branch. For the squashed sphere with U(1) x U(1) isometry, its measure and integrand are identified wi…
We extend the formula for partition functions of N=2 superconformal gauge theories on S^3 obtained recently by Kapustin, Willett and Yaakov, to incorporate matter fields with arbitrary R-charge assignments. We use the result to check that the self-mirror property of N=4 SQED with two electron hypermultiplets is preserved under a certain mass deformation which breaks the supersymmetry to N=2.
We consider the close relation between duality in N=2 SUSY gauge theories and integrable models. Various integrable models ranging from Toda lattices, Calogero models, spinning tops, and spin chains are related to the quantum moduli space of vacua of N=2 SUSY gauge theories. In particular, SU(3) gauge theories with two flavors of massless quarks in the fundamental representation can be related to the spectral curve of the Goryachev-Chaplygin top, which is a Nahm's equation in disguise. This can be generalized to the cases with massive quarks, and N_f = 0,1,2, where a system with seven dimensio…
We relate the non-perturbative exact results in supersymmetry to perturbation theory using several different methods: instanton calculations at weak or strong coupling, a method using gaugino condensation and another method relating strong and weak coupling. This allows many precise numerical checks of the consistency of these methods, especially the amplitude of instanton effects, and of the network of exact solutions in supersymmetry. However, there remain difficulties with the instanton computations at strong coupling.
After an introduction to N=2 susy Yang-Mills theories, I review in some detail, for the SU(2) gauge group, how the low-energy effective action is obtained using duality and the constraints arising from the supersymmetry. Then I discuss how knowledge of this action, duality and certain discrete symmetries allow us to determine the spectra of stable BPS states at any point in moduli space. This is done for gauge group SU(2), without and with fundamental matter hypermultiplets which may have non-vanishing bare masses. In the latter case non-trivial four-dimensional CFTs arise at Argyres-Douglas t…
We prove that N=2 theories that arise by taking n free hypermultiplets and gauging a subgroup of Sp(n), the non-R global symmetry of the free theory, have a remaining global symmetry which is a direct sum of unitary, symplectic, and special orthogonal factors. This implies that theories that have SU(N) but not U(N) global symmetries, such as Gaiotto's T_N theories, are not likely to arise as IR fixed points of RG flows from weakly coupled N=2 gauge theories.
We study a non-supersymmetric deformation of the field theory dual to the baryonic branch of Klebanov-Strassler. Using a combination of analytical (series expansions) and numerical methods we construct non-supersymmetric backgrounds that smoothly interpolate between the desired UV and IR behaviors. We calculate various observables of the field theory and propose a picture of soft breaking by gaugino masses that is consistent with the various calculations on the string side.
We propose a new set of s-confining theories with product gauge groups and no tree-level superpotential, based on a model with one antisymmetric matter field and four flavors of quarks. For each product group we find a set of gauge-invariant operators which satisfy the 't Hooft anomaly matching conditions, and we identify the dynamically generated superpotential which reproduces the classical constraints between operators. Several of these product gauge theories confine without breaking chiral symmetry, even in cases where the classical moduli space is quantum-modified. These results may be us…
We discuss duality in $N=1$ SUSY gauge theories in Seiberg's conformal window, $(3N_c/2)<N_f<3N_c$. The 't Hooft consistency conditions -- the basic tool for establishing the infrared duality -- are considered taking into account higher order $α$ corrections. The conserved (anomaly free) $R$ current is built to all orders in $α$. Although this current contains all orders in $α$ the 't Hooft consistency conditions for this current are shown to be one-loop. This observation thus justifies Seiberg's matching procedure. We also briefly discuss the inequivalence of the ``electric" and ``magnetic" t…
We study low-energy effective superpotentials for the phase with a confined photon in N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories with an adjoint matter $Φ$ and fundamental flavors $Q, \tilde Q$. Arbitrary classical gauge groups are considered. The results are used to derive the hyperelliptic curves which describe the Coulomb phase of N=2 supersymmetric QCD with classical gauge groups. These curves are in agreement with those proposed earlier by several authors. Our results also produce the curves relevant to describe the Coulomb phase of N=1 theories with a superpotential of the form $\tilde{Q} Φ^{l} Q…
It is shown that $D=4$ $N=1$ SUSY Yang-Mills theory with an appropriate supermultiplet of matter can be twisted on compact Kähler manifold. The conditions of cancellation of anomalies of BRST charge are found. The twisted theory has an appropriate BRST charge. We find a non-trivial set of physical operators defined as classes of the cohomology of this BRST \op . We prove that the physical correlators are independent on external Kähler metric up to a power of a ratio of two Ray-Singer torsions for the Dolbeault cohomology complex on a Kähler manifold. The correlators of local physical \op s tur…
We use dyonic brane configurations of type 0 string theory to study large N non-supersymmetric 4d gauge theories. The brane configurations define theories similar to the supersymmetric ones which arise in type II. We find the non-SUSY analogues of N=2 and N=1. In particular we suggest new non-SUSY CFT's and a brane realization of a non-SUSY Seiberg duality.
We introduce a new class of effective actions describing dynamically broken supersymmetric theories in an essentially non-perturbative region. Our approach is a generalization of the known supersymmetric non-linear sigma models, but allows in contrast to the latter the description of dynamical supersymmetry breaking by non-perturbative non-semiclassical effects. This non-perturbative breaking mechanism takes place in confined theories, where the effective fields are composite operators. It is necessary within the context of quantum effective actions and the associated concept of symmetry break…
We study N=1 supersymmetric U(N) gauge theories coupled to an adjoint chiral field with superpotential. We consider the full supersymmetric moduli space of these theories obtained by adding all allowed chiral operators. These include higher-dimensional operators that introduce a field-dependence for the gauge coupling. We show how Feynman diagram/matrix model/string theoretic techniques can all be used to compute the IR glueball superpotential. Moreover, in the limit of turning off the superpotential, this leads to a deformation of N=2 Seiberg-Witten theory. In the case where the superpotentia…
These are expanded notes of lectures given at the summer school "Gif 2000" in Paris. They constitute the first part of an "Introduction to supersymmetry and supergravity" with the second part on supergravity by J.-P. Derendinger to appear soon. The present introduction is elementary and pragmatic. I discuss: spinors and the Poincaré group, the susy algebra and susy multiplets, superfields and susy lagrangians, susy gauge theories, spontaneously broken susy, the non-linear sigma model, N=2 susy gauge theories, and finally Seiberg-Witten duality.
We construct an N=2 supersymmetric generalization of the N=1 supercurrent formalism of Komargodski and Seiberg (KS) and use it to show that N=2 theories with linear superconformal anomalies cannot break SUSY under certain broad assumptions. This result suggests that there are no metastable SUSY breaking vacua in a large class of theories that includes N=2 Super Yang-Mills (SYM).
The proposal of hep-ph/0601236, that the laws of physics in flat spacetime need be invariant only under a SIM(2) subgroup of the Lorentz group, is extended to include supersymmetry. $\mathcal{N}=1$ SUSY gauge theories which include SIM(2) couplings for the fermions in chiral multiplets are formulated. These theories contain two conserved supercharges rather than the usual four.
We discuss how, by including gauge singlets in supersymmetric gauge theories, one can construct and test new types of duality. This may help in finding dual theories of supersymmetric GUTs. This talk is based on the recent article arXiv:0903.1313 [hep-th].
In this talk I review and generalize an idea of Seiberg that an N=1 supersymmetric gauge theory shows confinement without breaking of chiral symmetry when the gauge symmetry of its magnetic dual is completely broken by the Higgs effect. It is shown how the confining spectrum of a supersymmetric gauge theory can easily be derived when a magnetic dual is known and this method is applied to many models containing fields in second rank tensor representations and an appropriate tree-level superpotential.
We discuss supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories with the multiple scales in the brane language. The issue concerns N=2 SUSY gauge theories with massive fundamental matter including the UV finite case of $n_{f}=2n_c$, theories involving products of SU(n) gauge groups with bifundamental matter, and the systems with several parameters similar to $Λ_{QCD}$. We argue that the proper integrable systems are, accordingly, twisted XXX SL(2) spin chain, $SL(p)$ magnets and degenerations of the spin Calogero system. The issue of symmetries underlying integrable systems is addressed. Relations with the mono…
Symmetry Theories (SymThs) provide a flexible framework for analyzing the global categorical symmetries of a $D$-dimensional QFT$_{D}$ in terms of a $(D+1)$-dimensional bulk system SymTh$_{D+1}$. In QFTs realized via local string backgrounds, these SymThs naturally arise from dimensional reduction of the linking boundary geometry. To track possible time dependent effects we introduce a celestial generalization of the standard "boundary at infinity" of a SymTh. As an application of these considerations we revisit large $N$ quiver gauge theories realized by spacetime filling D3-branes probing a …
We study soft SUSY breaking terms in heterotic M-theory. We show that both weakly and strongly coupled heterotic string models lead to the same relations of soft SUSY breaking terms, $A=-M$ and $m^2 = M^2/3$, up to $O((αT/S)^2)$.
The N=1 supersymmetric gauge SU(5) theory with one antisymmetric tensor, n+3 fundamentals and n+4 antifundamentals has dual magnetic descriptions in the infrared. By introducing extra singlet fields and tree level superpotential terms to the electric SU(5) theories, we are able to make the dual theories flow to the known SU(n)xSU(2) gauge theories which break supersymmetry dynamically. In the n=2 case, the lifting of the pseudo-flat direction is estimated by using dual operator mappings.
We consider 4d and 5d N=2 supersymmetric theories and demonstrate that in general their Seiberg-Witten prepotentials satisfy the Witten-Dijkgraaf-Verlinde-Verlinde (WDVV) equations. General proof for the Yang-Mills models (with matter in the first fundamental representation) makes use of the hyperelliptic curves and underlying integrable systems. A wide class of examples is discussed, it contains few understandable exceptions. In particular, in perturbative regime of 5d theories in addition to naive field theory expectations some extra terms appear, like it happens in heterotic string models. …
We expand on an idea of Seiberg that an N=1 supersymmetric gauge theory shows confinement without breaking of chiral symmetry when the gauge symmetry of its magnetic dual is completely broken by the Higgs effect. This has recently been applied to some models involving tensor fields and an appropriate tree-level superpotential. We show how the confining spectrum of a supersymmetric gauge theory can easily be derived when a magnetic dual is known and we determine it explicitly for many models containing fields in second rank tensor representations. We also give the form of the confining superpot…
${\cal N} = 4$ Supersymmetric Yang-Mills (SYM) theory can be defined on a half-space with a variety of boundary conditions preserving scale invariance and half of the original supersymmetry; more general theories with the same symmetry can be obtained by coupling to a 3D SCFT at the boundary. Each of these theories is characterized by a quantity called "boundary $F$", conjectured to decrease under boundary renormalization group flows. In this paper, we calculate boundary $F$ for $U(N)$ ${\cal N} = 4$ SYM theory with the most general half-supersymmetric boundary conditions arising from string t…
We study (non-renormalizable) five dimensional supersymmetric field theories. The theories are parametrized by quark masses and a gauge coupling. We derive the metric on the Coulomb branch exactly. We use stringy considerations to learn about new non-trivial interacting field theories with exceptional global symmetry $E_n$ ($E_8$, $E_7$, $E_6$, $E_5=Spin(10)$, $E_4=SU(5)$, $E_3=SU(3)\times SU(2)$, $E_2=SU(2)\times U(1)$ and $E_1=SU(2)$). Their Coulomb branch is ${\bf R}^+$ and their Higgs branch is isomorphic to the moduli space of $E_n$ instantons. One of the relevant operators of these theor…
Low--energy limits of N=2 supersymmetric field theories in the Higgs branch are described in terms of a non--linear 4--dimensional sigma--model on a \hk target space, classically obtained as a \hk quotient of the original flat hypermultiplet space by the gauge group. We review in a pedagogical way this construction, and illustrate it in various examples, with special attention given to the singularities emerging in the low--energy theory. In particular, we thoroughly study the Higgs branch singularity of Seiberg--Witten $SU(2)$ theory with $N_f$ flavors, interpreted by Witten as a small instan…
We extend previous work on N=2 Chern-Simons theories coupled to a single adjoint chiral superfield using localization techniques and the F-maximization principle. We provide tests of a series of proposed 3D Seiberg dualities and a new class of tests of the conjectured F-theorem. In addition, a proposal is made for a modification of the F-maximization principle that takes into account the effects of decoupling fields. Finally, we formulate and provide evidence for a new general non-perturbative constraint on spontaneous supersymmetry breaking in three dimensions based on Q-deformed S^3 partitio…
We consider N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories in which the couplings are allowed to be space-time dependent functions. Both the gauge and the superpotential couplings become chiral superfields. As has recently been shown, a new topological anomaly appears in models with space-time dependent gauge coupling. Here we show how this anomaly may be used to derive the NSVZ beta function in a particular, well-determined renormalisation scheme, both without and with chiral matter. Moreover we extend the topological anomaly analysis to theories coupled to a classical curved superspace background, and us…
