We study the topologically twisted index of $\mathcal{N}=6$ supersymmetric Chern-Simons matter theory with $U(N)_k \times U(N)_{-k}$ gauge group in the 't Hooft limit, that is, for $N, k \, \to \infty$ with $λ=N/k$ fixed. In the regime where $λ$ is fixed and large we find an analytical expression for the leading order term of the index. The leading term of the index matches precisely the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of the dual asymptotically AdS$_4$ magnetically charged black holes embedded in IIA supergrvity on AdS$_4\times \mathbb{CP}^3$, after a standard Legendre transformation. We numerically explore the genus expansion of the topologically twisteed index beyond the leading order, focusing on the genus one contribution, that is, $N^0$. We find qualitative agreement with the topological expansion of the free energy on $S^3$ at genus one. Our logarithmic in $λ$ term constitutes a prediction for the one-loop effective action on the IIA supergravity side.
We compute the topologically twisted index for general $\mathcal{N} = 2$ supersymmetric field theories on $\mathbb{H}_2\times S^1$. We also discuss asymptotically $AdS_4$ magnetically charged black holes with hyperbolic horizon, in four-dimensional $\mathcal{N} = 2$ gauged supergravity. With certain assumptions, put forward by Benini, Hristov and Zaffaroni, we find precise agreement between the black hole entropy and the topologically twisted index, for $ABJM$ theories.
Herein, we consider a topologically twisted version of maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory in five dimensions which was introduced by Witten in 2011. We consider this theory on a five manifold of the form M_4 x I for M_4 an oriented Riemannian four manifold. The complete and unique action of the theory in bulk is written down and is shown to be invariant under two scalar supersymmetries.
We explore the path integration -- upon the contour of hermitian (non-auxliary) field configurations -- of topologically twisted $\mathcal{N}=2$ Chern-Simons-matter theory (TTCSM) on $\mathbb{S}_2$ times a segment. In this way, we obtain the formula for the 3D topologically twisted index, first as a convolution of TTCSM on $\mathbb{S}_2$ times halves of $\mathbb{S}_1$, second as TTCSM on $\mathbb{S}_2$ times $\mathbb{S}_1$ -- with a puncture --, and third as TTCSM on $\mathbb{S}_2 \times \mathbb{S}_1$. In contradistinction to the first two cases, in the third case, the vector multiplet auxilia…
We study the large $N$ limit of the refined topologically twisted index of three-dimensional $\mathcal{N} = 2$ gauge theories with a holographic dual, which is relevant for counting the number of microstates of rotating, magnetically charged and twisted AdS$_4$ black holes. As a difference with previous computations, we perform a direct saddle point analysis of the relevant matrix model. Among other things we explicitly identify the distribution of gauge magnetic fluxes that contributes at large $N$. The index exhibits a large $N$ factorized form in agreement with the supergravity expectations…
We study the topologically twisted osp(2|2)+osp(2|2) conformal superalgebra. The algebra includes the Lagrangians which are intrinsic to the topological field theory and composed of fermionic generators. Studying the Lagrangians through a gauge system of osp(2|2)+osp(2|2), geometrical features inherent to the algebra are revealed: a moduli space associated with the algebra is derived and the crucial roles which the fermionic generators play in the moduli space are clarified It is argued that there exists a specific relation between the topological twist and the moduli problem through a geometr…
We consider a topologically twisted maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory on a four-manifold of the form $V = W \times {\mathbb R}_+$. 't Hooft disorder operators localized in the boundary component at finite distance of $V$ are relevant for the study of knot theory on the three-manifold $W$, and have recently been constructed for a gauge group of rank one. We extend this construction to an arbitrary gauge group $G$. For certain values of the magnetic charge of the 't Hooft operator, the solutions are obtained by embedding the rank one solutions in $G$ and can be given in closed form.
We compute, in the large $N$ limit, the topologically twisted index of the 3d $T[SU(N)]$ theory, namely the partition function on $Σ_{\mathfrak{g}} \times S^1$, with a topological twist on the Riemann surface $Σ_{\mathfrak{g}}$. To provide an expression for this quantity, we take advantage of some recent results obtained for five dimensional quiver gauge theories. In case of a universal twist, we correctly reproduce the entropy of the universal black hole that can be embedded in the holographically dual solution.
We investigate the large-$N$ asymptotics of the topologically twisted index of $\mathcal N=4$ SU($N$) Super-Yang-Mills (SYM) theory on $T^2\times S^2$ and provide its holographic interpretation based on the black hole Farey tail. In the field theory side, we use the Bethe-Ansatz (BA) formula, which gives the twisted index of $\mathcal N=4$ SYM theory as a discrete sum over Bethe vacua, to compute the large-$N$ asymptotics of the twisted index. In a dual $\mathcal N=2$ gauged STU model, we construct a family of 5d extremal solutions uplifted from the 3d black hole Farey tail, and compute the re…
We derive the partition function of an $\mathcal N=2$ chiral multiplet on topologically twisted $H^2\times S^1$. The chiral multiplet is coupled to a background vector multiplet encoding a real mass deformation. We consider an $ H^2\times S^1$ metric containing two parameters: one is the $S^1$ radius, while the other gives a fugacity $q$ for the angular momentum on $H^2$. The computation is carried out by means of supersymmetric localization, which provides a finite answer written in terms of $q$-Pochammer symbols and multiple Zeta functions. Especially, the partition function of normalizable …
We calculate partition function and correlation functions in A-twisted 2d $\mathcal{N}=(2,2)$ theories and topologically twisted 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ theories containing adjoint chiral multiplet with particular choices of $R$-charges and the magnetic fluxes for flavor symmetries. According to Gauge-Bethe correspondence, they correspond to Heisenberg XXX and XXZ spin chain models. We identify the partition function as the inverse of the norm of the Bethe eigenstates. Correlation functions are identified as the coefficients of the expectation value of Baxter $Q$-operators. In addition, we consider…
We examine the topologically twisted index of $\mathcal N=4$ super-Yang-Mills with gauge group $SU(N)$ on $T^2\times S^2$, and demonstrate that it receives contributions from multiple sectors corresponding to the freely acting orbifolds $T^2/\mathbb Z_m\times\mathbb Z_n$ where $N=mn$. After summing over these sectors, the index can be expressed as the elliptic genus of a two-dimensional $\mathcal N=(0,2)$ theory resulting from Kaluza-Klein reduction on $S^2$. This provides an alternate path to the 'high-temperature' limit of the index, and confirms the connection to the right-moving central ch…
We study twisted N=2 superconformal gauge theory on a product of two Riemann surfaces Sigma and C. The twisted theory is topological along C and holomorphic along Sigma and does not depend on the gauge coupling or theta-angle. Upon Kaluza-Klein reduction along Sigma, it becomes equivalent to a topological B-model on C whose target is the moduli space MV of nonabelian vortex equations on Sigma. The N=2 S-duality conjecture implies that the duality group acts by autoequivalences on the derived category of MV. This statement can be regarded as an N=2 counterpart of the geometric Langlands duality…
We evaluate the topologically twisted index of a general four-dimensional $\mathcal{N} = 1$ gauge theory in the "high-temperature" limit. The index is the partition function for $\mathcal{N} = 1$ theories on $S^2 \times T^2$, with a partial topological twist along $S^2$, in the presence of background magnetic fluxes and fugacities for the global symmetries. We show that the logarithm of the index is proportional to the conformal anomaly coefficient of the two-dimensional $\mathcal{N} = (0,2)$ SCFTs obtained from the compactification on $S^2$. We also present a universal formula for extracting …
We provide a formula for the partition function of five-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ gauge theories on $\mathcal{M}_4 \times S^1$, topologically twisted along $\mathcal{M}_4$ in the presence of general background magnetic fluxes, where $\mathcal{M}_4$ is a toric Kähler manifold. The result can be expressed as a contour integral of the product of copies of the K-theoretic Nekrasov's partition function, summed over gauge magnetic fluxes. The formula generalizes to five dimensions the topologically twisted index of three- and four-dimensional field theories. We analyze the large $N$ limit of the p…
Symmetry breaking can produce ``Alice'' strings, which alter scattered charges and carry monopole number and charge when twisted into loops. Alice behavior arises algebraically, when strings obstruct unbroken symmetries -- a fragile criterion. We give a topological criterion, compelling Alice behavior or deforming it away. Our criterion, that π_o(H) acts nontrivially on π_1(H), links topologically Alice strings to topological monopoles. We twist topologically Alice loops to form monopoles. We show that Alice strings of condensed matter systems (nematic liquid crystals, helium 3A, and related n…
Euclidean field theories admit more general deformations than usually discussed in quantum field theories because of mixing between rotational symmetry and internal symmetry (a.k.a topological twist). Such deformations may be relevant, and if the subsequent renormalization group flow leads to a non-trivial fixed point, it generically gives rise to a scale invariant Euclidean field theory without conformal invariance. Motivated by an ansatz studied in cosmological models some time ago, we develop a holographic dual description of such renormalization group flows in the context of AdS/CFT. We ar…
It has recently been shown that a center-twisted compactification of the four-dimensional pure $SU(N)$ Yang-Mills theory on a three-torus gives rise to the two-dimensional $\mathbb{CP}^{N-1}$-model on a circle with a flavor-twisted boundary condition. We verify the consistency of this statement non-perturbatively at theta angle $θ=π$, in terms of the mixed 't Hooft anomalies for flavor symmetries and the time-reversal symmetry. This provides further support for the approach to the confinement of four-dimensional Yang-Mills theory from the two-dimensional $\mathbb{CP}^{N-1}$-model.
This work examines non-perturbative dynamics of a $2$-dimensional QFT by using discrete 't Hooft anomaly, semi-classics with circle compactification and bosonization. We focus on charge-$q$ $N$-flavor Schwinger model, and also Wess-Zumino-Witten model. We first apply the recent developments of discrete 't Hooft anomaly matching to theories on $\mathbb{R}^2$ and its compactification to $\mathbb{R} \times S^1_L$. We then compare the 't Hooft anomaly with dynamics of the models by explicitly constructing eigenstates and calculating physical quantities on the cylinder spacetime with periodic and f…
In this paper, we calculate the topological free energy for a number of ${\mathcal N} \geq 2$ Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons-matter theories at large $N$ and fixed Chern-Simons levels. The topological free energy is defined as the logarithm of the partition function of the theory on $S^2 \times S^1$ with a topological A-twist along $S^2$ and can be reduced to a matrix integral by exploiting the localization technique. The theories of our interest are dual to a variety of Calabi-Yau four-fold singularities, including a product of two asymptotically locally Euclidean singularities and the cone over var…
Anomaly matching constrains low-energy physics of strongly-coupled field theories, but it is not useful at finite temperature due to contamination from high-energy states. The known exception is an 't Hooft anomaly involving one-form symmetries as in pure $SU(N)$ Yang-Mills theory at $θ=π$. Recent development about large-$N$ volume independence, however, gives us a circumstantial evidence that 't Hooft anomalies can also remain under circle compactifications in some theories without one-form symmetries. We develop a systematic procedure for deriving an 't Hooft anomaly of the circle-compactifi…
The lambda=0 't Hooft limit of the 2d W_N minimal models is shown to be equivalent to the singlet sector of a free boson theory, thus paralleling exactly the structure of the free theory in the Klebanov-Polyakov proposal. In 2d, the singlet sector does not describe a consistent theory by itself since the corresponding partition function is not modular invariant. However, it can be interpreted as the untwisted sector of a continuous orbifold, and this point of view suggests that it can be made consistent by adding in the appropriate twisted sectors. We show that these twisted sectors account fo…
We study the topologically twisted cigar, namely the SL(2,R)/U(1) superconformal field theory at arbitrary level, and find the BRST cohomology of the topologically twisted N=2 theory. We find a one to one correspondence between the spectrum of the twisted coset and singular vectors in the Wakimoto modules constructed over the SL(2,R) current algebra. The topological cigar cohomology is the crucial ingredient in calculating the closed string spectrum of topological strings on non-compact Gepner models.
We investigate several properties of Ginsparg-Wilson fermion on fuzzy 2-sphere. We first examine chiral anomaly up to the second order of the gauge field and show that it is indeed reduced to the correct form of the Chern character in the commutative limit. Next we study topologically non-trivial gauge configurations and their topological charges. We investigate 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole type configuration on fuzzy 2-sphere and show that it has the correct commutative limit. We also consider more general configurations in our formulation.
We define supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory on an arbitrary two-dimensional lattice (polygon decomposition) with preserving one supercharge. When a smooth Riemann surface $Σ_g$ with genus $g$ emerges as an appropriate continuum limit of the generic lattice, the discretized theory becomes topologically twisted $\mathcal{N}=(2,2)$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory on $Σ_g$. If we adopt the usual square lattice as a special case of the discretization, our formulation is identical with Sugino's lattice model. Although the tuning of parameters is generally required while taking the continuum limit, t…
The $u$-plane integrals of topologically twisted $N = 2$ supersymmetric gauge theories generally contain contact terms of nonlocal topological observables. This paper proposes an interpretation of these contact terms from the point of view of integrable hierarchies and their Whitham deformations. This is inspired by Mariño and Moore's remark that the blowup formula of the $u$-plane integral contains a piece that can be interpreted as a single-time tau function of an integrable hierarchy. This single-time tau function can be extended to a multi-time version without spoiling the modular invarian…
We measure the running of the $SU(\infty)$ 't Hooft coupling by performing a step scaling analysis of the Twisted Eguchi-Kawai (TEK) model, the SU($N$) gauge theory on a single site lattice with twisted boundary conditions. The computation relies on the conjecture that finite volume effects for SU(N) gauge theories defined on a 4-dimensional twisted torus are controlled by an effective size parameter $\tilde l = l \sqrt{N}$, with $l$ the torus period. We set the scale for the running coupling in terms of $\tilde l$ and use the gradient flow to define a renormalized 't Hooft coupling $λ(\tilde …
We provide a general formula for the partition function of three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ gauge theories placed on $S^2 \times S^1$ with a topological twist along $S^2$, which can be interpreted as an index for chiral states of the theories immersed in background magnetic fields. The result is expressed as a sum over magnetic fluxes of the residues of a meromorphic form which is a function of the scalar zero-modes. The partition function depends on a collection of background magnetic fluxes and fugacities for the global symmetries. We illustrate our formula in many examples of 3d Yang-Mills…
We construct a string theory in three-dimensional anti-de Sitter space-time that is independent of the boundary metric. It is a topologically twisted theory of quantum gravity. We study string theories with an asymptotic N=2 superconformal symmetry and demonstrate that, when the world sheet coupling to the space-time boundary metric undergoes a U(1) R-symmetry twist, the space-time boundary energy-momentum tensor becomes topological. As a by-product of our analysis, we obtain the world sheet vertex operator that codes the space-time energy-momentum for conformally flat boundary metrics.
We review new aspects of integrable systems discovered recently in N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories and their topologically twisted versions. The main topics are (i) an explicit construction of Whitham deformations of the Seiberg-Witten curves for classical gauge groups, (ii) its application to contact terms in the u-plane integral of topologically twisted theories, and (iii) a connection between the tau functions and the blowup formula in topologically twisted theories.
Recently, entropy of static supersymmetric black holes in $AdS_6$ was microscopically counted by the topologically twisted index of five-dimensional superconformal field theories. However, the AdS/CFT dictionary states that the partition function of the boundary field theory corresponds to the on-shell action of the bulk quantum gravity. In this paper, we aim to explain the microscopic counting of black hole entropy by the topologically twisted index. We calculate the renormalized on-shell action and show that the on-shell action equals the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of the supersymmetric blac…
We show that the equivalence between the c=1 non-critical bosonic string and the N=2 topologically twisted coset SL(2)/U(1) at level one can be checked very naturally on the level of tree-level scattering amplitudes with the use of the Stoyanovsky-Ribault-Teschner map, which recasts $H_3^+$ correlation functions in terms of Liouville field theory amplitudes. This observation can be applied equally well to the topologically twisted SL(2)/U(1) coset at level n>1, which has been argued recently to be equivalent with a c<1 non-critical bosonic string whose matter part is defined by a time-like lin…
We consider topologically twisted N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory on a four-manifold of the form V = W \times R_+ or V = W \times I, where W is a Riemannian three-manifold. Different kinds of boundary conditions apply at infinity or at finite distance. We verify that each of these conditions defines a `middle-dimensional' subspace of the space of all bulk solutions. Taking the two boundaries of V into account should thus generically give a discrete set of solutions. We explicitly find the spherically symmetric solutions when W = S^3 endowed with the standard metric. For widely separated b…
We investigate the phase structure of the compactified $2$-dimensional nonlinear $SU(3)/U(1)^2$ flag sigma model with respect to two $θ$-terms. Based on the circle compactification with the ${\mathbb Z}_{3}$-twisted boundary condition, which preserves an 't Hooft anomaly of the original uncompactified theory, we perform the semiclassical analysis based on the dilute instanton gas approximation (DIGA). We clarify classical vacua of the theory and derive fractional instanton solutions connecting these vacua. The resulting phase structure based on DIGA exhibits the quantum phase transitions and t…
We consider double-scaling limits of multicut solutions of certain one matrix models that are related to Calabi-Yau singularities of type A and the respective topological B model via the Dijkgraaf-Vafa correspondence. These double-scaling limits naturally lead to a bosonic string with c $\leq$ 1. We argue that this non-critical string is given by the topologically twisted non-critical superstring background which provides the dual description of the double-scaled little string theory at the Calabi-Yau singularity. The algorithms developed recently to solve a generic multicut matrix model by me…
We use recently established AdS$_6$/CFT$_5$ dualities to count the microstates of magnetically charged AdS$_6 \times S^2 \times Σ$ black holes in Type IIB. The near-horizon limit is described by solutions with AdS$_2 \times Σ_{\mathfrak{g}_1} \times Σ_{\mathfrak{g}_2} \times S^2 \times Σ$ geometry, where $Σ_{\mathfrak{g}_i}$ are Riemann surfaces of constant curvature and $Σ$ is a further Riemann surface over which the geometry is warped. Our results show that the topologically twisted indices of the proposed dual superconformal field theories precisely reproduce the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy …
In this note we propose that D-brane charges, in the presence of a topologically non-trivial B-field, are classified by the K-theory of an infinite dimensional C^*-algebra. In the case of B-fields whose curvature is pure torsion our description is shown to coincide with that of Witten.
We study the boundary conditions in the topologically twisted Chern-Simons matter theories with the Lie 3-algebraic structure. We find that the supersymmetric boundary conditions and the gauge invariant boundary conditions can be unified as the complexified gauge invariant boundary conditions which lead to the supergroup WZW models. We propose that the low-energy effective field theories on the two-dimensional intersection of multiple M2-branes on a holomorphic curve inside K3 with two non-parallel M5-branes on the K3 are supergroup WZW models from the topologically twisted BLG-model and the A…
We provide a general formula for the refined topologically twisted index of $\mathcal{N}=1$ gauge theories living on the world-volume of D3-branes at conical Calabi-Yau singularities in the Cardy limit. The index is defined as the partition function on $T^2 \times S^2_ω$, with a partial topological twist and a $Ω$-deformation along $S^2$, in the presence of background magnetic fluxes and fugacities for the global symmetries and can be used to study the properties of a class of BPS black strings. To this purpose, we find rotating domain-wall solutions of five-dimensional gauged supergravity int…
We find new asymptotically locally AdS$_4$ Euclidean supersymmetric solutions of the STU model in four-dimensional gauged supergravity. These "black saddles" have an $S^1\times Σ_{\mathfrak{g}}$ boundary at asymptotic infinity and cap off smoothly in the interior. The solutions can be uplifted to eleven dimensions and are holographically dual to the topologically twisted ABJM theory on $S^1\times Σ_{\mathfrak{g}}$. We show explicitly that the on-shell action of the black saddle solutions agrees exactly with the topologically twisted index of the ABJM theory in the planar limit for general valu…
We numerically study the interactions of twisted monopole-antimonopole pairs in the 't Hooft-Polyakov model for a range of values of the scalar to vector mass ratio. We also recover the sphaleron solution at maximum twist discovered by Taubes, and map out its energy and size as functions of parameters.
We compute the one-loop running of the $SU(N)$ 't Hooft coupling in a finite volume gradient flow scheme using twisted boundary conditions. The coupling is defined in terms of the energy density of the gradient flow fields at a scale $\tilde{l}$ given by an adequate combination of the torus size and the rank of the gauge group, and is computed in the continuum using dimensional regularization. We present the strategy to regulate the divergences for a generic twist tensor, and determine the matching to the $\overline{\rm MS}$ scheme at one-loop order. For the particular case in which the twist …
By studying the partition function of $N=4$ topologically twisted supersymmetric Yang-Mills on four-manifolds, we make an exact strong coupling test of the Montonen-Olive strong-weak duality conjecture. Unexpected and exciting links are found with two-dimensional rational conformal field theory.
We study the topologically twisted index of a certain Chern-Simons matter theory with $SU(N)$ level $k$ gauge group on a genus $g$ Riemann surface times a circle. For this theory it is known that the logarithm of the topologically twisted index grows as $N^{5/3}$ and that it matches the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of certain magnetically charged asymptotically $AdS_4\times S^6$ black holes in massive type IIA supergravity. Through a combination of numerical and analytical techniques we study the subleading in $N$ structure. We demonstrate precise analytic cancellation of terms of orders $N\log\…
We provide general formulae for the topologically twisted index of a general three-dimensional ${\cal N}\geq 2$ gauge theory with an M-theory or massive type IIA dual in the large $N$ limit. The index is defined as the supersymmetric path integral of the theory on $S^2\times S^1$ in the presence of background magnetic fluxes for the R- and global symmetries and it is conjectured to reproduce the entropy of magnetically charged static BPS AdS$_4$ black holes. For a class of theories with an M-theory dual, we show that the logarithm of the index scales indeed as $N^{3/2}$ (and $N^{5/3}$ in the m…
This paper addresses a long standing problem, the counting of the microstates of supersymmetric asymptotically AdS black holes in terms of a holographically dual field theory. We focus on a class of asymptotically AdS$_4$ static black holes preserving two real supercharges which are dual to a topologically twisted deformation of the ABJM theory. We evaluate in the large $N$ limit the topologically twisted index of the ABJM theory and we show that it correctly reproduces the entropy of the AdS$_4$ black holes. An extremization of the index with respect to a set of chemical potentials is require…
Recently it has been shown how a topologically twisted version of ${\cal N}=4$ super Yang-Mills may be discretized in such a way as to preserve one scalar supersymmetry at nonzero lattice spacing. The remaining fifteen supersymmetries are broken by terms of ${\cal O}(a)$ where $a$ is the lattice spacing. One would like to know whether these remaining supersymmetries are regained in the continuum limit $a \to 0$ and, if not, how much tuning of the couplings in the lattice action is required. In this paper we derive the form of these additional twisted supersymmetries by combining a set of discr…
Using localization, matrix model and saddle-point techniques, we determine exact behavior of circular Wilson loop in N=2 superconformal (quiver) gauge theories. Focusing at planar and large `t Hooft couling limits, we compare its asymptotic behavior with well-known exponential growth of Wilson loop in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. For theory with gauge group SU(N) coupled to 2N fundamental hypermultiplets, we find that Wilson loop exhibits non-exponential growth -- at most, it can grow a power of `t Hooft coupling. For theory with gauge group SU(N) x SU(N) and bifundamental hypermultiplets, the…
