The D-brane superpotential is very important in the low energy effective theory. As the generating function of all disk instantons from the worldsheet point of view, it plays a crucial role in deriving some important properties of the compact Calabi-Yau manifolds. By using the GKZ-generalized hypergeometric system, we will calculate the B-brane superpotentials of two non-fermat type compact Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces in toric varieties,respectively. Then according to the mirror symmetry, we obtain the A-model superpotentials and the Ooguri-Vafa invariants for the mirror Calabi-Yau manifolds.
According to the generalized GKZ system for CY manifold with brane and the open-closed Mirror map, We calculate the off-shell D-Brane/F-Theory effective superpotentials and Ooguri-Vafa invariants of several compact Calabi-Yau manifolds .
We calculate the D-brane superpotentials for two non-Fermat type compact Calabi-Yau manifolds which are the hypersurfaces of the weighed projective spaces in type II string theory. By constructing the open-closed mirror maps, we also compute the Ooguri-Vafa invariants, which are related to the open Gromov-Witten invariants.
The Gopakumar-Vafa (GV) formula expresses certain couplings that arise in Type IIA compactification to four dimensions on a Calabi-Yau manifold in terms of a counting of BPS states in M-theory. The couplings in question have applications to topological strings and supersymmetric black holes. In this paper, we reconsider the GV formula, taking a close look at the Schwinger-like computation that was suggested in the original GV work. The goal is to understand the background that must be used in this computation, the role played by the extended supersymmetry of this background, and how the comput…
We outline a proof of a remarkable conjecture of Labastida-Mari{ñ}o-Ooguri-Vafa about certain new algebraic structures of quantum link invariants and the integrality of infinite family of new topological invariants. Our method is based on the cut-and-join analysis and a special rational ring characterizing the structure of the Chern-Simons partition function.
Based on large N Chern-Simons/topological string duality, in a series of papers, J.M.F. Labastida, M. Marino, H. Ooguri and C. Vafa conjectured certain remarkable new algebraic structure of link invariants and the existence of infinite series of new integer invariants. In this paper, we provide a proof of this conjecture. Moreover, we also show these new integer invariants vanish at large genera.
In a recent paper, Ooguri and Vafa [arXiv:1610.04564] argued that a mild extension of the Weak Gravity conjecture\cite{weakgrav} led to the conclusion that the only models of quantum gravity in AdS space with "radius large compared to the string scale" were models with exact AdS-SUSY. This note clarifies certain obscure parts of their argument by reinterpreting it as a statement about brane configurations in flat space. In that context the statement is that stable non-supersymmetric configurations of branes are characterized by charges in the torsion subgroup of K-theory and their only long ra…
We calculate the D-brane superpotentials for two Calabi-Yau manifolds with three deformations by the generalized hypergeometric GKZ systems, which give rise to the flux superpotentials $\mathcal{W}_{GVW}$ of the dual F-theory compactification on the relevant Calabi-Yau fourfolds in the weak decoupling limit. We also compute the Ooguri-Vafa invariants from A-model expansion with mirror symmetry, which are related to the open Gromov-Witten invariants.
By blowing up the ambient space along the curve wrapped by B-branes, we study the brane superpotentials and Ooguri-Vafa invariants on complete intersections Calabi-Yau threefolds. On the topological B-model side, B-brane superpotentials are expressed in terms of the period integral of the blow-up manifolds. By mirror maps, the superpotentials are generating functions of Ooguri-Vafa invariants counting holomorphic disks on the topological A-model side.
We consider CIV-DV prepotential F for N=1 SU(n) SYM theory at the extremum of the effective superpotential and prove the relation $2F-S dF/dS = - 2 u_2 Lambda^2n /(n^2-1)$
We prove that topological recursion applied to the spectral curve of colored HOMFLY-PT polynomials of torus knots reproduces the n-point functions of a particular partition function called the extended Ooguri-Vafa partition function. This generalizes and refines the results of Brini-Eynard-Marino and Borot-Eynard-Orantin. We also discuss how the statement of spectral curve topological recursion in this case fits into the program of Alexandrov-Chapuy-Eynard-Harnad of establishing the topological recursion for general weighted double Hurwitz numbers partition functions (a.k.a. KP tau-functions o…
The phase transitions are studied for the D-brane systems with multiple open-string moduli in terms of toric geometry: between the parallel D-brane phase corresponding to the Coulomb branch and the coincident phase corresponding to the Higgs branch. The two separated D-branes on compact Calabi-Yau 3-fold coincide developing the geometric singularity in the corresponding F-theory Calabi-Yau 4-fold in terms of TypeII/F theory duality, and the enhancement of gauge group $U(1)\times U(1)\rightarrow SU(2)$ in terms of gauge theory. For several D-brane system with various closed-string moduli, using…
Gopakumar, Ooguri and Vafa famously proposed the existence of a correspondence between a topological gauge theory on one hand ($U(N)$ Chern-Simons theory on the three-sphere) and a topological string theory on the other (the topological A-model on the resolved conifold). On the physics side, this duality provides a concrete instance of the large $N$ gauge/string correspondence where exact computations can be performed in detail; mathematically, it puts forward a triangle of striking relations between quantum invariants (Reshetikhin-Turaev-Witten) of knots and 3-manifolds, curve-counting invari…
Ooguri, Vafa, and Verlinde have recently proposed an approach to string cosmology which is based on the idea that cosmological string moduli should be selected by a Hartle-Hawking wave function. They are led to consider a certain Euclidean space which has *two different Lorentzian interpretations*, one of which is a model of an *accelerating cosmology*. We describe in detail how to implement this idea without resorting to a "complex metric". We show that the four-dimensional version of the OVV cosmology is null geodesically incomplete but has no curvature singularity; also that it is [barely] …
In this paper we revisit the analysis of vacua in N=2 SQCD with generic bare quark masses, softly broken by a mass term for the chiral superfield Φin the adjoint representation of the gauge group. These vacua are labelled by an integer r (r vacua) and can be studied at the semiclassical level by means of the equations of motion (for large mass) or nonperturbatively by means of the Seiberg-Witten curve (for small mass). Making use of the Konishi anomaly and of the Dijkgraaf-Vafa superpotential we are able to interpolate between these two limits and better understand the properties of these vacu…
We investigate the Dijkgraaf-Vafa proposal when supersymmetry is broken. We consider U(N) SYM with chiral adjoint matter where the coupling constants in the tree-level superpotential are promoted to chiral spurions. The holomorphic part of the low-energy glueball superpotential can still be analyzed. We compute the holomorphic supersymmetry breaking contributions using methods of the geometry underlying the N=1 effective gauge theory viewed as a Whitham system. We also study the change in the effective glueball superpotential using perturbative supergraph techniques in the presence of spurions…
We discuss the Whitham deformation of the effective superpotential in the Dijkgraaf-Vafa (DV) theory. It amounts to discussing the Whitham deformation of an underlying (hyper)elliptic curve. Taking the elliptic case for simplicity we derive the Whitham equation for the period, which governs flowings of branch points on the Riemann surface. By studying the hodograph solution to the Whitham equation it is shown that the effective superpotential in the DV theory is realized by many different meromorphic differentials. Depending on which meromorphic differential to take, the effective superpotenti…
We study B-brane superpotentials depending on several closed- and open- moduli on Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces and complete intersections. By blowing up the ambient space along a curve wrapped by B-branes in a Calabi-Yau manifold, we obtain a blow-up new manifold and the period integral satisfying the GKZ-system. Via mirror symmetry to A-model, we calculate the superpotentials and extract Ooguri-Vafa invariants for concrete examples of several open-closed moduli in Calabi-Yau manifolds.
This master's thesis gives a thorough and pedagogical introduction to the Dijkgraaf-Vafa conjecture which tells us how to calculate the exact effective glueball superpotential in a wide range of $\mathcal{N}=\textrm{1}$ supersymmetric gauge theories in four space-time dimensions using a related matrix model. The introduction is purely field theoretical and reviews all the concepts needed to understand the conjecture. Furthermore, examples of the use of the conjecture are given. Especially, we find the one-cut solution of the matrix model and use this to obtain exact superpotentials in the case…
The integrality of Ooguri-Vafa disk invariants is verified using discrete symmetries of the superpotential of the mirror Landau-Ginzburg theory to calculate quantum corrections to the boundary variables. We show that these quantum corrections are completely determined if we assume that the discrete symmetry of the superpotential also holds in terms of the quantum corrected variables. We discuss the case of local P^2 blown up at three points and local F_2 blown up at two points in detail.
One of the powerful techniques to analyze the 5 dimensional Super Yang Mills theory with a massive hypermultiplet (N=1*) is provided by the AdS/CFT correspondence. It predicts that, for certain special values of the hypermultiplet mass, this theory develops nonperturbative branches of the moduli space as well as new light degrees of freedom. We use the higher dimensional generalization of the matrix model/gauge theory correspondence and recover all the prediction of the supergravity analysis. We construct the map between the four dimensional holomorphic superpotential and the five dimensional …
It is known that the fermionic shift symmetry of the N=1, U(N) gauge model with a superpotential of an adjoint chiral superfield is replaced by the second (spontaneously broken) supersymmetry in the N=2, U(N) gauge model with a prepotential and Fayet-Iliopoulos parameters. Based on a diagrammatic analysis, we demonstrate how the well-known form of the effective superpotential in the former model is modified in the latter. A set of two equations on the one-point functions stating the Konishi anomaly is modified accordingly.
With the aim of extending the gauge theory -- matrix model connection to more general matter representations, we prove that for various two-index tensors of the classical gauge groups, the perturbative contributions to the glueball superpotential reduce to matrix integrals. Contributing diagrams consist of certain combinations of spheres, disks, and projective planes, which we evaluate to four and five loop order. In the case of $Sp(N)$ with antisymmetric matter, independent results are obtained by computing the nonperturbative superpotential for $N=4,6$ and 8. Comparison with the Dijkgraaf-Va…
We consider the matter induced part of the effective superpotential of N=2, U(N) gauge model in which N=2 supersymmetry is spontaneously broken to N=1, by using the properties of the chiral ring and the generalized Konishi anomaly equations derived in our previous paper arXiv:0704.1060. It is shown that the effective superpotential is related to the planar free energy of the matrix model by a formula which consists of two parts -- the well-known part due to Dijkgraaf-Vafa and the part that acts as a deformation of the couplings. These couplings are those of the original bare prepotential in th…
We apply the proposal of Dijkgraaf and Vafa to analyze N=1 gauge theory with SO(N) and Sp(N) gauge groups with arbitrary tree-level superpotentials using matrix model techniques. We derive the planar and leading non-planar contributions to the large M SO(M) and Sp(M) matrix model free energy by applying the technology of higher-genus loop equations and by straightforward diagrammatics. The loop equations suggest that the RP^2 free energy is given as a derivative of the sphere contribution, a relation which we verify diagrammatically. With a refinement of the proposal of Dijkgraaf and Vafa for …
According to Dijkgraaf and Vafa the effective glueball superpotential of the N=1 supersymmetric QCD coupled with an adjoint chiral multiplet is given by the planar amplitude in the 1/N expansion of a matrix model. It was shown that, when the N=1 supersymmetric QCD is coupled with fundamental chiral multiplets as well, the effective glueball superpotential is modified by the disc amplitude of the generalized matrix model. The diagramatic computation of this disc amplitude is fairly involved for the multi-cut solution. Instead we compute it with recourse to the complex analysis of the hyperellip…
Motivated by the duality conjecture of Dijkgraaf and Vafa between supersymmetric gauge theories and matrix models, we derive the effective superpotential of N=1 supersymmetric gauge theory with gauge group SO(N_c) and arbitrary tree-level polynomial superpotential of one chiral superfield in the adjoint representation and $N_f$ fundamental matter multiplets.
Using the Racah coefficients in our earlier paper arXiv:1107.3918, we explicitly write the Chern-Simons field theory invariants for many non-torus knot and links. Further, we have tabulated the reformulated invariants which agrees with the Ooguri-Vafa conjecture for knots and Labastida-Marino-Vafa conjecture for links.
For D-brane system with three D-branes on compact Calabi-Yau threefolds, the dual F-theory fourfolds for parallel/complete coincident/part coincident D-brane system is constructed by the type II/F-theory duality. Complete coincident means that the three D-branes coincide and part coincident represents the coincident of two of the three D branes. The low energy effective superpotentials are calculated by mirror symmetry, GKZ-system method and the type II/F-theory duality on the B-model side, respectively. Using the mirror symmetry, A-model superpotentials and the Ooguri-Vafa invariants are obta…
Dijkgraaf and Vafa have conjectured that the effective superpotentials for N=1 four-dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories can be given by the planar diagrams of matrix models. We examine some special models with cubic and quartic tree level superpotentials for adjoint chiral superfield Φ. We consider the effective superpotentials for the classical vacuum Φ=0 for U(N) and SO(N)/Sp(N) gauge theories. We evaluate the effective superpotentials exactly in terms of the matrix model and in terms of closed string theory on Calabi-Yau geometry with fluxes. As a result we find their perfect agreemen…
Based on the proof of Labastida-Mari{ñ}o-Ooguri-Vafa conjecture \cite{lmov}, we derive an infinite product formula for Chern-Simons partition functions, the generating function of quantum $\fsl_N$ invariants. Some symmetry properties of the infinite product will also be discussed.
We perform the Kaluza-Klein reduction of M-theory on warped Calabi-Yau fourfolds with non-trivial four-form flux turned on. The resulting scalar- and superpotential is computed and compared with the superpotential obtained by Gukov, Vafa and Witten using different methods.
In this dissertation we discuss various issues concerning application of the Dijkgraaf-Vafa (DV) conjecture to the study of supersymmetric gauge theories. The DV approach is very powerful in that it provides a systematic way of computing the nonperturbative, often even exact, superpotential of the system, which was possible only on a case-by-case basis in the more traditional approach based on holomorphy and symmetry. This conjecture has been checked for many nontrivial examples, but the range of its applicability remained unclear. We give an explicit example, Sp(N) theory with antisymmetric t…
We use open-closed string duality between F-theory on K3xK3 and type II strings on CY manifolds without branes to study non-perturbative superpotentials in generalized flux compactifications. On the F-theory side we obtain the full flux potential including D3-instanton contributions and show that it leads to an explicit and simple realization of the three ingredients of the KKLT model for stringy dS vacua. The D3-instanton contribution is highly non-trivial, can be systematically computed including the determinant factors and demonstrates that a particular flux lifts very effectively zero mode…
We show how within the Dijkgraaf-Vafa prescription one can derive superpotentials for matter fields. The ingredients forming the non-perturbative Affleck-Dine-Seiberg superpotentials arise from constrained matrix integrals, which are equivalent to classical complex Wishart random matrices. The mechanism is similar to the way the Veneziano-Yankielowicz superpotential arises from the matrix model measure.
We derive a closed formula for the generating function of genus two Gromov-Witten invariants of quintic 3-folds and verify the corresponding mirror symmetry conjecture of Bershadsky, Cecotti, Ooguri and Vafa.
We determine the instanton corrected hypermultiplet moduli space in type IIB compactifications near a Calabi-Yau conifold point where the size of a two-cycle shrinks to zero. We show that D1-instantons resolve the conifold singularity caused by worldsheet instantons. Furthermore, by resumming the instanton series, we reproduce exactly the results obtained by Ooguri and Vafa on the type IIA side, where membrane instantons correct the hypermultiplet moduli space. Our calculations therefore establish that mirror symmetry holds non-perturbatively in the string coupling.
Motivated by recent work of Dijkgraaf and Vafa, we study anomalies and the chiral ring structure in a supersymmetric U(N) gauge theory with an adjoint chiral superfield and an arbitrary superpotential. A certain generalization of the Konishi anomaly leads to an equation which is identical to the loop equation of a bosonic matrix model. This allows us to solve for the expectation values of the chiral operators as functions of a finite number of ``integration constants.'' From this, we can derive the Dijkgraaf-Vafa relation of the effective superpotential to a matrix model. Some of our results a…
We solve Bershadsky-Cecotti-Ooguri-Vafa (BCOV) holomorphic anomaly equation to determine the higher genus Gromov-Witten invariants ($g \leq 5$) of the derived equivalent Calabi-Yau threefolds, which are of the appropriate codimensions in the Grassmannian Gr(2,7) and the Pfaffian Pf(7).
Dijkgraaf and Vafa have conjectured the correspondences between topological string theories, ${\cal N}=1$ gauge theories and matrix models. By the use of this conjecture, we calculate the quantum deformations of Calabi-Yau threefolds with ADE singularities from ADE multi-matrix models. We obtain the effective superpotentials of the dual quiver gauge theories in terms of the geometric engineering for the deformed geometries. We find the Veneziano-Yankielowicz terms in the effective superpotentials.
Following the work of Lima et al on the exact evaluation of the nonperturbative contribution to the superpotential from open-membrane instanton in Heterotic M-Theory, we evaluate systematically the contribution to the superpotential of a membrane instanton obtained by wrapping of a single M2 brane, once, on an isolated supersymmetric 3-cycle in a G_2-holonomy manifold. We then try to relate the results obtained to those sketched out in Harvey and Moore. We also do a heat-kernel asymptotics analysis to see whether one gets similar UV-divergent terms for (one or both of) the bosonic and fermioni…
We study the mixed Hodge theoretic aspects of the B-model side of local mirror symmetry. Our main objectives are to define an analogue of the Yukawa coupling in terms of the variations of the mixed Hodge structures and to study its properties. We also describe a local version of Bershadsky-Cecotti-Ooguri-Vafa's holomorphic anomaly equation.
We study the cobordism conjecture of McNamara and Vafa which asserts that the bordism group of quantum gravity is trivial. In the context of type IIB string theory compactified on a circle, this predicts the presence of D7-branes. On the other hand, the non-Abelian structure of the IIB duality group $SL(2,\mathbb{Z})$ implies the existence of additional $[p,q]$ 7-branes. We find that this additional information is instead captured by the space of closed paths on the moduli space of elliptic curves parameterizing distinct values of the type IIB axio-dilaton. This description allows to recover t…
We study type IIA string theory compactified on Calabi-Yau fourfolds and heterotic string theory compactified on Calabi-Yau threefolds times a two-torus. We derive the resulting effective theories which have two space-time dimensions and preserve four supercharges. The duality between such vacua is established at the level of the effective theory. For type IIA vacua with non-trivial Ramond-Ramond background fluxes a superpotential is generated. We show that for a specific choice of background fluxes and a fourfold which has the structure of a threefold fibred over a sphere the superpotential c…
We rewrite the (extended) Ooguri-Vafa partition function for colored HOMFLY-PT polynomials for torus knots in terms of the free-fermion (semi-infinite wedge) formalism, making it very similar to the generating function for double Hurwitz numbers. This allows us to conjecture the combinatorial meaning of full expansion of the correlation differentials obtained via the topological recursion on the Brini-Eynard-Mariño spectral curve for the colored HOMFLY-PT polynomials of torus knots. This correspondence suggests a structural combinatorial result for the extended Ooguri-Vafa partition function. …
In here the matrix model approach, by Dijkgraaf and Vafa, is used in order to obtain the effective superpotential for a certain deformation of N=4 SYM discovered by Leigh and Strassler. An exact solution to the matrix model Lagrangian is found and is expressed in terms of elliptic functions.
We develop means of computing exact degerenacies of BPS black holes on toric Calabi-Yau manifolds. We show that the gauge theory on the D4 branes wrapping ample divisors reduces to 2D q-deformed Yang-Mills theory on necklaces of P^1's. As explicit examples we consider local P^2, P^1 x P^1 and A_k type ALE space times C. At large N the D-brane partition function factorizes as a sum over squares of chiral blocks, the leading one of which is the topological closed string amplitude on the Calabi-Yau. This is in complete agreement with the recent conjecture of Ooguri, Strominger and Vafa.
We geometrically engineer N=2 theories perturbed by a superpotential by adding 3-form flux with support at infinity to local Calabi-Yau geometries in type IIB. This allows us to apply the formalism of Ooguri, Ookouchi, and Park [arXiv:0704.3613] to demonstrate that, by tuning the flux at infinity, we can stabilize the dynamical complex structure moduli in a metastable, supersymmetry-breaking configuration. Moreover, we argue that this setup can arise naturally as a limit of a larger Calabi-Yau which separates into two weakly interacting regions; the flux in one region leaks into the other, whe…
The proper inclusion of flavor in the Dijkgraaf-Vafa proposal for the solution of N=1 gauge theories through matrix models has been subject of debate in the recent literature. We here reexamine this issue by geometrically engineering fundamental matter with type IIB branes wrapped on non-compact cycles in the resolved geometry, and following them through the geometric transition. Our approach treats massive and massless flavor fields on equal footing, including the mesons. We also study the geometric transitions and superpotentials for finite mass of the adjoint field. All superpotentials we c…
In this paper, we extend the GKZ-system method to the more general case: compact Complete Intersection Calabi-Yau manifolds (CICY). For several one-deformation modulus compact CICYs with D-branes, the on-shell superpotentials in this paper from the extended GKZ-system method are exactly consistent with published results obtained from other methods. We further compute the off-shell superpotentials of these models. Then we obtain both the on-shell and off-shell superpotentials for sev- eral two-deformation moduli compact CICYs with D-branes by using the extended GKZ-system method. The discrete s…
Cachazo and Vafa studied $\mathcal{N}=1$ dynamics of U(N) gauge theory from a viewpoint of type IIB superstring compactified on a Calabi-Yau manifold with fluxes. They proved the equivalence between the dynamics and that of $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric U(N) gauge theory deformed by certain superpotential terms. We generalize their results to gauge theories with massive flavors in fundamental representation for classical gauge groups. When the additional tree level superpotential takes the form of the square of an adjoint chiral superfield we derive Affleck-Dine-Seiberg potentials. By turning…
M5-branes wrapping a holomorphic curve in a Calabi-Yau manifold can be used to construct four-dimensional N=1 gauge theories. In this paper we will consider M5-brane configurations corresponding to N=2 theories broken to N=1 by a superpotential for the adjoint scalar field. These M5-brane configurations can be obtained by lifting suitable intersecting brane configurations in type IIA, or equivalently by T-dualizing IIB configurations with branes and/or fluxes. We will show that turning on non-trivial expectation values for the glueball superfields corresponds to non-holomorphic deformations of…
Recently Witten introduced a type IIB brane construction with certain boundary conditions to study knot invariants and Khovanov homology. The essential ingredients used in his work are the topologically twisted N = 4 Yang-Mills theory, localization equations and surface operators. In this paper we extend his construction in two possible ways. On one hand we show that a slight modification of Witten's brane construction could lead, using certain well defined duality transformations, to the model used by Ooguri-Vafa to study knot invariants using gravity duals. On the other hand, we argue that b…
We derive formulas for the classical Chern-Simons invariant of irreducible $SU(n)$-flat connections on negatively curved locally symmetric three-manifolds. We determine the condition for which the theory remains consistent (with basic physical principles). We show that a connection between holomorphic values of Selberg-type functions at point zero, associated with R-torsion of the flat bundle, and twisted Dirac operators acting on negatively curved manifolds, can be interpreted by means of the Chern-Simons invariant. On the basis of Labastida-Marino-Ooguri-Vafa conjecture we analyze a represen…
We demonstrate that, in an appropriate limit, the off-shell M5-brane worldvolume action effectively captures the scalar potential of Seiberg-Witten theory perturbed by a small superpotential and, consequently, any nonsupersymmetric vacua that it describes. This happens in a similar manner to the emergence from M5's of the scalar potential describing certain type IIB flux configurations [arXiv:0705.0983]. We then construct exact nonholomorphic M5 configurations in the special case of SU(2) Seiberg-Witten theory deformed by a degree six superpotential which correspond to the recently discovered …
