We review the problem of BPS state counting described by the generalized quiver matrix model of ADHM type. In four dimensions the generating function of the counting gives the Nekrasov partition function and we obtain generalization in higher dimensions. By the localization theorem, the partition function is given by the sum of contributions from the fixed points of the torus action, which are labeled by partitions, plane partitions and solid partitions. The measure or the Boltzmann weight of the path integral can take the form of the plethystic exponential. Remarkably after integration the partition function or the vacuum expectation value is again expressed in plethystic form. We regard it as a characteristic property of the BPS state counting problem, which is closely related to the integrability.
We discuss AdS$_2\times S^3\times{\text{CY}}_2\times I_ρ$ solutions to massive Type IIA supergravity with 4 Poincaré supersymmetries. We propose explicit dual quiver quantum mechanics built out of D0 and D4 colour branes coupled to D4' and D8 flavour branes. We propose that these quivers describe the interactions of instantons and Wilson lines in 5d gauge theories with 8 Poincaré supersymmetries. Using the RR Maxwell fluxes of the solutions, conveniently put off-shell, we construct a functional from which the holographic central charge can be derived through a geometrical extremisation princip…
We study the hemisphere partition function of a three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=4$ supersymmetric $U(N)$ gauge theory with one adjoint and one fundamental hypermultiplet -- the ADHM quiver theory. In particular, we propose a distinguished set of UV boundary conditions which yield Verma modules of the quantised chiral rings of the Higgs and Coulomb branches. In line with a recent proposal by two of the authors in collaboration with M. Bullimore, we show explicitly that the hemisphere partition functions recover the characters of these modules in two limits, and realise blocks gluing exactly to t…
We study quantum geometry of Nakajima quiver varieties of two different types - framed A-type quivers and ADHM quivers. While these spaces look completely different we find a surprising connection between equivariant K-theories thereof with a nontrivial match between their equivariant parameters. In particular, we demonstrate that quantum equivariant K-theory of $A_n$ quiver varieties in a certain $n\to\infty$ limit reproduces equivariant K-theory of the Hilbert scheme of points on $\mathbb{C}^2$. We analyze the correspondence from the point of view of enumerative geometry, representation theo…
A supersymmetric quantum mechanical model is constructed for BPS states bound to surface operators in five dimensional SU(r) gauge theories using D-brane engineering. This model represents the effective action of a certain D2-brane configuration, and is naturally obtained by dimensional reduction of a quiver $(0,2)$ gauged linear sigma model. In a special stability chamber, the resulting moduli space of quiver representations is shown to be virtually smooth and isomorphic to a moduli space of framed quotients on the projective plane. A precise conjecture relating a K-theoretic partition functi…
We study the moduli spaces of self-dual instantons on CP^2 in a simple group G. When G is a classical group, these instanton solutions can be realised using ADHM-like constructions which can be naturally embedded into certain three dimensional quiver gauge theories with 4 supercharges. The topological data for such instanton bundles and their relations to the quiver gauge theories are described. Based on such gauge theory constructions, we compute the Hilbert series of the moduli spaces of instantons that correspond to various configurations. The results turn out to be equal to the Hilbert ser…
We study the relationship between ADHM/Nahm construction and ``solution generating technique'' of BPS solitons in noncommutative gauge theories. ADHM/Nahm construction and ``solution generating technique'' are the most strong ways to construct exact BPS solitons. Localized solitons are the solitons which are generated by the ``solution generating technique.'' The shift operators which play crucial roles in ``solution generating technique'' naturally appear in ADHM/Nahm construction and we can construct various exact localized solitons including new solitons: localized periodic instantons (=loc…
Using recent results on BPS quiver theory, we develop a group theoretical method to describe the quiver mutations encoding the quantum mechanical duality relating the spectra of distinct quivers. We illustrate the method by computing the BPS spectrum of the infinite weak chamber of some examples of N=2 supersymmetric gauge models without and with quark hypermultiplets.
We study the spectrum of BPS particles on the Coulomb branch of five-dimensional superconformal field theories (5d SCFTs) compactified on a circle. By engineering these theories in M-theory on ${\mathbf X} \times S^1 $, for ${\mathbf X}$ an isolated Calabi-Yau threefold singularity, we naturally identify the BPS category of the 5d theory on a circle with the derived category of coherent sheaves on a resolution of ${\mathbf X}$. It follows that the BPS spectrum can be studied in terms of 5d BPS quivers, which are the fractional-brane quivers for the singularity ${\mathbf X}$. 5d BPS quivers gen…
We discuss a general procedure to obtain 1/2 BPS partition functions for generic N=1 quiver gauge theories. These functions count the gauge invariant operators (bosonic and fermionic), charged under all the global symmetries (mesonic and baryonic), in the chiral ring of a given quiver gauge theory. In particular we discuss the inclusion of the spinor degrees of freedom in the partition functions.
We count Higgs "phase" BPS states of general non-Abelian quiver, possibly with loops, by mapping the problem to its Abelian, or toric, counterpart and imposing Weyl invariance later. Precise Higgs index computation is particularly important for quivers with superpotentials; the Coulomb "phase" index is recently shown to miss important BPS states, dubbed intrinsic Higgs states or quiver invariants. We demonstrate how the refined Higgs index is naturally decomposed to a sum over partitions of the charge. We conjecture, and show in simple cases, that this decomposition expresses the Higgs index a…
We explore BPS quivers for D=5 theories, compactified on a circle and geometrically engineered over local Calabi-Yau 3-folds, for which many of known machineries leading to (refined) indices fail due to the fine-tuning of the superpotential. For Abelian quivers, the counting reduces to a geometric one, but the technically challenging $L^2$ cohomology proved to be essential for sensible BPS spectra. We offer a mathematical theorem to remedy the difficulty, but for non-Abelian quivers, the cohomology approach itself fails because the relevant wavefunctions are inherently gauge-theoretical. For t…
We study the basic features of BPS quiver mutations in 4D $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric quantum field theory with $G=ADE$ gauge symmetries.\ We show, for these gauge symmetries, that there is an isotropy group $\mathcal{G}_{Mut}^{G}$ associated to a set of quiver mutations capturing information about the BPS spectra. In the strong coupling limit, it is shown that BPS chambers correspond to finite and closed groupoid orbits with an isotropy symmetry group $\mathcal{G}_{strong}^{G}$ isomorphic to the discrete dihedral groups $Dih_{2h_{G}}$ contained in Coxeter$(G) $ with $% h_{G}$ the Coxeter n…
We show that generic three-dimensional $\mathcal N=2$ quiver super Chern-Simons-matter theories admit Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) Drukker-Trancanelli (DT) type Wilson loops. We investigate both Wilson loops along timelike infinite straight lines in Minkowski spacetime and circular Wilson loops in Euclidean space. In Aharnoy-Bergman-Jafferis-Maldacena theory, we find that generic BPS DT type Wilson loops preserve the same number of supersymmetries as Gaiotto-Yin type Wilson loops. There are several free parameters for generic BPS DT type Wilson loops in the construction, and supersymme…
We study various conjectural dual descriptions of a stack of M2-branes in M-theory including ADHM, ABJ(M), BLG, discrete gauge theories and quiver Chern-Simons (CS) theories and propose several new dualities of the M2-brane SCFTs by analyzing flavored supersymmetric indices in detail. The mapping of local operators, Coulomb, Higgs and mixed branch operators as well as global symmetries under the dualities are obtained from the precise matching of the indices. Furthermore, we find closed form expressions for the Coulomb limit of the indices of the $U(N)$ ADHM theory and the dual quiver CS theor…
We study systematically the BPS spectra of N=2 SYM coupled to half--hypermultiplets, the basic example being E_7 SYM coupled to a half--hyper in the 56 irrepr. In order to do this, we determine the BPS quivers with superpotential of such N=2 models using a new technique we introduce. The computation of the BPS spectra in the various chambers is then reduced to the Representation Theory of the resulting quivers. We use the quiver description to study the BPS spectrum at both strong and weak coupling. The following models are discussed in detail: SU(6) SYM coupled to a half 20, SO(12) SYM couple…
We study the Seberg-Witten geometry of 5d ${\cal N}=1$ pure Yang-Mills theories compactified on a circle. The concept of the holonomy saddle implies that there are multiple 4d limits of interacting Seiberg-Witten theories from a single 5d theory, and we explore this in the simplest case of pure $SU(N)$ theories. The compactification leads to $N$ copies of locally indistinguishable 4d pure $SU(N)$ Seiberg-Witten theories in the infrared, glued together in a manner dictated by the Chern-Simons level. We show how this picture naturally builds the 5d BPS quivers which agree with the D0 probe dynam…
The AdS/CFT correspondence between Sasaki-Einstein spaces and quiver gauge theories is studied from the perspective of massless BPS geodesics. The recently constructed toric Lpqr geometries are considered: we determine the dual superconformal quivers and the spectrum of BPS mesons. The conformal anomaly is compared with the volumes of the manifolds. The U(1)^2_F x U(1)_R global symmetry quantum numbers of the mesonic operators are successfully matched with the conserved momenta of the geodesics, providing a test of AdS/CFT duality. The correspondence between BPS mesons and geodesics allows to …
We present a survey of the computation of the BPS spectrum of a general four-dimensional N=2 supersymmetric gauge theory in terms of the Representation Theory of quivers with superpotential. We focus on SYM with a general gauge group G coupled to standard matter in arbitrary representations of G (consistent with a non--positive beta--function). The situation is particularly tricky and interesting when the matter consists of an odd number of half-hypermultiplets: we describe in detail SU(6) SYM coupled to half a 20, SO(12) SYM coupled to half a 32, and E_7 SYM coupled to half a 56.
For D=4 BPS state construction, counting, and wall-crossing thereof, quiver quantum mechanics offers two alternative approaches, the Coulomb phase and the Higgs phase, which sometimes produce inequivalent counting. The authors have proposed, in arXiv:1205.6511, two conjectures on the precise relationship between the two, with some supporting evidences. Higgs phase ground states are naturally divided into the Intrinsic Higgs sector, which is insensitive to wall-crossings and thus an invariant of quiver, plus a pulled-back ambient cohomology, conjectured to be an one-to-one image of Coulomb phas…
We construct new families of 1/4 BPS Wilson loops in circular quiver $\mathcal N=4$ superconformal Chern-Simons-matter (SCSM) theories in three dimensions. They are defined as the holonomy of superconnections that contain non-trivial couplings to scalar and fermions, and cannot be reduced to block-diagonal matrices. Consequently, the new operators cannot be written in terms of double-node Wilson loops, as the ones considered so far in the literature. For particular values of the couplings the superconnection becomes block-diagonal and we recover the known fermionic 1/4 and 1/2 BPS Wilson loops…
We study the Coulomb branches of the rank-one 4d $\mathcal{N} = 2$ quantum field theories, including the KK theories obtained from the circle compactification of the 5d $\mathcal{N}= 1$ $E_n$ Seiberg theories. The focus is set on the relation between their Seiberg-Witten geometries and rational elliptic surfaces, with more attention being given to the modular surfaces, which we completely classify using the classification of subgroups of the modular group ${\rm PSL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$. We derive closed-form expressions for the modular functions for all congruence and some of the non-congruence sub…
We study the matrix models that describe the BPS bound states of branes arising from the quiver picture of the derived category. These theories have a topological partition function that localizes to the Euler character of the anti-ghost bundle over the classical BPS moduli space. We examine the effective internal geometry of D6/D2 bound states in the local vertex geometry, using BPS 0-brane probes. The Kahler blowups of the Calabi-Yau that we find utilizing these quiver theories are a realization of A-model quantum foam in the full IIA theory.
We exactly evaluate the partition function (index) of N=4 supersymmetric quiver quantum mechanics in the Higgs phase by using the localization techniques. We show that the path integral is localized at the fixed points, which are obtained by solving the BRST equations, and D-term and F-term conditions. We turn on background gauge fields of R-symmetries for the chiral multiplets corresponding to the arrows between quiver nodes, but the partition function does not depend on these R-charges. We give explicit examples of the quiver theory including a non-coprime dimension vector. The partition fun…
In this paper we construct and classify novel Drukker-Trancanelli (DT) type BPS Wilson loops along infinite straight lines and circles in $\mathcal N=2,3$ quiver superconformal Chern-Simons-matter theories, Aharony-Bergman-Jafferis-Maldacena (ABJM) theory, and $\mathcal N=4$ orbifold ABJM theory. Generally we have four classes of Wilson loops, and all of them preserve the same supersymmetries as the BPS Gaiotto-Yin (GY) type Wilson loops. There are several free complex parameters in the DT type BPS Wilson loops, and for two classes of Wilson loops in ABJM theory and $\mathcal N=4$ orbifold ABJ…
We study the 1/4 BPS equations in the eight dimensional noncommutative Yang-Mills theory found by Bak, Lee and Park. We explicitly construct some solutions of the 1/4 BPS equations using the noncommutative version of the ADHM-like construction in eight dimensions. From the calculation of topological charges, we show that our solutions can be interpreted as the bound states of the $D0$-$D4$-$D8$ with a $B$-field. We also discuss the structure of the moduli space of the 1/4 BPS solutions and determine the metric of the moduli space of the U(2) one-instanton in four and eight dimensions.
Three dimensional supersymmetric field theories have large moduli spaces of circular Wilson loops preserving a fixed set of supercharges. We simplify previous constructions of such Wilson loops and amend and clarify their classification. For a generic quiver gauge theory we identify the moduli space as a quotient of $C^m$ for some $m$ by an appropriate symmetry group. These spaces are quiver varieties associated to a cover of the original quiver or a subquiver thereof. This moduli space is generically singular and at the singularities there are large degeneracies of operators which seem differ…
The BPS spectrum of certain N=2 supersymmetric field theories can be determined algebraically by studying the representation theory of BPS quivers. We introduce methods based on BPS quivers to study line defects. The presence of a line defect opens up a new BPS sector: framed BPS states can be bound to the defect. The defect can be geometrically described in terms of laminations on a curve. To a lamination we associate certain elements of the Leavitt path algebra of the BPS quiver and use them to compute the framed BPS spectrum. We also provide an alternative characterization of line defects b…
We define "BPS graphs" on punctured Riemann surfaces associated with $A_{N-1}$ theories of class $\mathcal{S}$. BPS graphs provide a bridge between two powerful frameworks for studying the spectrum of BPS states: spectral networks and BPS quivers. They arise from degenerate spectral networks at maximal intersections of walls of marginal stability on the Coulomb branch. While the BPS spectrum is ill-defined at such intersections, a BPS graph captures a useful basis of elementary BPS states. The topology of a BPS graph encodes a BPS quiver, even for higher-rank theories and for theories with cer…
We consider equivariant dimensional reduction of Yang-Mills theory on K"ahler manifolds of the form M times CP^1 times CP^1. This induces a rank two quiver gauge theory on M which can be formulated as a Yang-Mills theory of graded connections on M. The reduction of the Yang-Mills equations on M times CP^1 times CP^1 induces quiver gauge theory equations on M and quiver vortex equations in the BPS sector. When M is the noncommutative space R_theta^{2n} both BPS and non-BPS solutions are obtained, and interpreted as states of D-branes. Using the graded connection formalism, we assign D0-brane ch…
In this paper we study the BPS state counting in the geometry of local obstructed curve with normal bundle O+O(-2). We find that the BPS states have a framed quiver description. Using this quiver description along with the Seiberg duality and the localization techniques, we can compute the BPS state indices in different chambers dictated by stability parameter assignments. This provides a well-defined method to compute the generalized Donaldson-Thomas invariants. This method can be generalized to other affine ADE quiver theories.
We compute R-charges of the BPS-monopole operators in $\mathcal{N} = 3$ $\widehat{ADE}$ Chern-Simons quiver gauge theories, along the lines of the work of Benna, Klebanov and Klose in \cite{bkk}. These theories have a weakly coupled UV completion in terms of $\mathcal{N}=3$ supersymmetric Chern-Simons Yang-Mills theories. In the UV limit the monopole operators are well approximated by classical solutions. We construct classical BPS and anti-BPS monopole solutions to these theories which preserve $\frac{1}{3}$ supersymmetry all along the RG flow. We compute the $SU(2)_R$ charges in these backgr…
We develop a method to build new 5D $\mathcal{N}=1$ gauge models based on Sasaki-Einstein manifolds $Y^{p,q}.$ These models extend the standard 5D ones having a unitary SU$\left( p\right) _{q}$ gauge symmetry based on $% Y^{p,q}$. Particular focus is put on the building of a gauge family with symplectic SP$\left( 2r,\mathbb{R}\right) $ symmetry. These super QFTs are embedded in M-theory compactified on folded toric Calabi-Yau threefolds $% \hat{X}(Y^{2r,0})$ constructed from conical $Y^{2r,0}$. By using outer-automorphism symmetries of 5D $\mathcal{N}=1$\textbf{\ }BPS quivers with unitary SU$\…
BPS sector in $\mathcal{N}=2$, four-dimensional toric quiver gauge theories has previously been studied using crystal melting model and dimer model. We introduce the Mahler measure associated to statistical dimer model to study large $N$ limit of these quiver gauge theories. In this limit, generating function of BPS states in a general toric quiver theory is studied and entropy, growth rate of BPS states and free energy of the quiver are obtained in terms of the Mahler measure. Moreover, a possible third-order phase transition in toric quivers is discussed. Explicit computations of profile fun…
A class of half-BPS boundary conditions for $A_{K-1}$ circular quivers
Yau Mathematical Sciences Center, Tsinghua University（清华大学丘成桐数学科学中心）；Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Trieste（的里雅斯特大学物理系）；INFN, Sezione di Trieste（意大利国家核物理研究所的里雅斯特分部）
We show the vertex operator formalism for the quiver gauge theory partition function and the $qq$-character of highest-weight module on quiver, both associated with the integral over the quiver variety.
We study the BPS spectra of N=2 complete quantum field theories in four dimensions. For examples that can be described by a pair of M5 branes on a punctured Riemann surface we explain how triangulations of the surface fix a BPS quiver and superpotential for the theory. The BPS spectrum can then be determined by solving the quantum mechanics problem encoded by the quiver. By analyzing the structure of this quantum mechanics we show that all asymptotically free examples, Argyres-Douglas models, and theories defined by punctured spheres and tori have a chamber with finitely many BPS states. In al…
A large class of N=2 quantum field theories admits a BPS quiver description and the study of their BPS spectra is then reduced to a representation theory problem. In such theories the coupling to a line defect can be modelled by framed quivers. The associated spectral problem characterises the line defect completely. Framed BPS states can be thought of as BPS particles bound to the defect. We identify the framed BPS degeneracies with certain enumerative invariants associated with the moduli spaces of stable quiver representations. We develop a formalism based on equivariant localization to com…
We discuss several aspects of D-brane moduli spaces and BPS spectra near orbifold points. We give a procedure to determine the decay products on a line of marginal stability, and we define the algebra of BPS states in terms of quivers. These issues are illustrated in detail in the case of type IIA theory on C^2/Z_N. We also show that many of these results can be extended to arbitrary points in the compactification moduli space using Pi-stability.
In this paper we study the relation between pyramid partitions with a general empty room configuration (ERC) and the BPS states of D-branes on the resolved conifold. We find that the generating function for pyramid partitions with a length n ERC is exactly the same as the D6/D2/D0 BPS partition function on the resolved conifold in particular Kaehler chambers. We define a new type of pyramid partition with a finite ERC that counts the BPS degeneracies in certain other chambers. The D6/D2/D0 partition functions in different chambers were obtained by applying the wall crossing formula. On the oth…
We explore the relationship between four-dimensional N=2 quantum field theories and their associated BPS quivers. For a wide class of theories including super-Yang-Mills theories, Argyres-Douglas models, and theories defined by M5-branes on punctured Riemann surfaces, there exists a quiver which implicitly characterizes the field theory. We study various aspects of this correspondence including the quiver interpretation of flavor symmetries, gauging, decoupling limits, and field theory dualities. In general a given quiver describes only a patch of the moduli space of the field theory, and a ke…
We discuss new solutions in massive Type IIA supergravity with AdS$_3\times$S$^2$ factors, preserving ${\cal N}=(0,4)$ SUSY. We propose a duality with a precise family of quivers that flow to ${\cal N}=(0,4)$ fixed points at low energies. These quivers consist on two families of linear quivers coupled by matter fields. Physical observables such as the central charges provide stringent checks of the proposed duality. A formal mapping is presented connecting our backgrounds with those dual to six dimensional ${\cal N}=(1,0)$ CFTs, suggesting the existence of a flow across dimensions between the …
We study the moduli space volume of BPS vortices in quiver gauge theories on compact Riemann surfaces. The existence of BPS vortices imposes constraints on the quiver gauge theories. We show that the moduli space volume is given by a vev of a suitable cohomological operator (volume operator) in a supersymmetric quiver gauge theory, where BPS equations of the vortices are embedded. In the supersymmetric gauge theory, the moduli space volume is exactly evaluated as a contour integral by using the localization. Graph theory is useful to construct the supersymmetric quiver gauge theory and to deri…
We construct explicit BPS and non-BPS solutions of the Yang-Mills equations on noncommutative spaces R^{2n}_theta x G/H which are manifestly G-symmetric. Given a G-representation, by twisting with a particular bundle over G/H, we obtain a G-equivariant U(k) bundle with a G-equivariant connection over R^{2n}_theta x G/H. The U(k) Donaldson-Uhlenbeck-Yau equations on these spaces reduce to vortex-type equations in a particular quiver gauge theory on R^{2n}_theta. Seiberg-Witten monopole equations are particular examples. The noncommutative BPS configurations are formulated with partial isometrie…
We introduce a class of new algebras, the shifted quiver Yangians, as the BPS algebras for type IIA string theory on general toric Calabi-Yau three-folds. We construct representations of the shifted quiver Yangian from general subcrystals of the canonical crystal. We derive our results via equivariant localization for supersymmetric quiver quantum mechanics for various framed quivers, where the framings are determined by the shape of the subcrystals. Our results unify many known BPS state counting problems, including open BPS counting, non-compact D4-branes, and wall crossing phenomena, simply…
We study the super instanton solution in the gauge theory with U$(n_{+}| n_{-})$ gauge group. Based on the ADHM construction generalized to the supergroup theory, we derive the instanton partition function from the super instanton moduli space through the equivariant localization. We derive the Seiberg-Witten geometry and its quantization for the supergroup gauge theory from the instanton partition function, and study the connection with classical and quantum integrable systems. We also argue the brane realization of the supergroup quiver gauge theory, and possible connection to the non-superg…
The quiver Yangian, an infinite-dimensional algebra introduced recently in arXiv:2003.08909, is the algebra underlying BPS state counting problems for toric Calabi-Yau three-folds. We introduce trigonometric and elliptic analogues of quiver Yangians, which we call toroidal quiver algebras and elliptic quiver algebras, respectively. We construct the representations of the shifted toroidal and elliptic algebras in terms of the statistical model of crystal melting. We also derive the algebras and their representations from equivariant localization of three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetr…
We study the defect groups of $D_p^b(G)$ theories using geometric engineering and BPS quivers. In the simple case when $b=h^\vee (G)$, we use the BPS quivers of the theory to see that the defect group is compatible with a known Maruyoshi-Song flow. To extend to the case where $b\neq h^\vee (G)$, we use a similar Maruyoshi-Song flow to conjecture that the defect groups of $D_p^b(G)$ theories are given by those of $G^{(b)}[k]$ theories. In the cases of $G=A_n, \;E_6, \;E_8$ we cross check our result by calculating the BPS quivers of the $G^{(b)}[k]$ theories and looking at the cokernel of their …
We develop a systematic and efficient method of counting single-trace and multi-trace BPS operators with two supercharges, for world-volume gauge theories of $N$ D-brane probes for both $N \to \infty$ and finite $N$. The techniques are applicable to generic singularities, orbifold, toric, non-toric, complete intersections, et cetera, even to geometries whose precise field theory duals are not yet known. The so-called ``Plethystic Exponential'' provides a simple bridge between (1) the defining equation of the Calabi-Yau, (2) the generating function of single-trace BPS operators and (3) the gene…
We investigate the connections between flavored quivers, dimer models, and BPS pyramids for generic toric Calabi-Yau threefolds from various perspectives. We introduce a purely field theoretic definition of both finite and infinite pyramids in terms of quivers with flavors. These pyramids are associated to the counting of BPS invariants for generic toric Calabi-Yau threefolds. We discuss how cluster transformations provide an efficient recursive method for computing pyramid partition functions and show that the recursion is equivalent to the multidimensional octahedron recurrence. Transitions …
We consider a topological quiver matrix model which is expected to give a dual description of the instanton dynamics of topological U(N) gauge theory on D6 branes. The model is a higher dimensional analogue of the ADHM matrix model that leads to Nekrasov's partition function. The fixed points of the toric action on the moduli space are labeled by colored plane partitions. Assuming the localization theorem, we compute the partition function as an equivariant index. It turns out that the partition function does not depend on the vacuum expectation values of Higgs fields that break U(N) symmetry …
This note is presenting the generating functions which count the BPS operators in the chiral ring of a N=2 quiver gauge theory that lives on N D3 branes probing an ALE singularity. The difficulty in this computation arises from the fact that this quiver gauge theory has a moduli space of vacua that splits into many branches -- the Higgs, the Coulomb and mixed branches. As a result there can be operators which explore those different branches and the counting gets complicated by having to deal with such operators while avoiding over or under counting. The solution to this problem turns out to b…
We study the discrete flows generated by the symmetry group of the BPS quivers for Calabi-Yau geometries describing five dimensional superconformal quantum field theories on a circle. These flows naturally describe the BPS particle spectrum of such theories and at the same time generate bilinear equations of q-difference type which, in the rank one case, are q-Painlevé equations. The solutions of these equations are shown to be given by grand canonical topological string partition functions which we identify with $τ$-functions of the cluster algebra associated to the quiver. We exemplify our c…
We argue how to identify supersymmetric quiver quantum mechanics description of BPS states, which arise in string theory in brane systems representing knots. This leads to a surprising relation between knots and quivers: to a given knot we associate a quiver, so that various types of knot invariants are expressed in terms of characteristics of a moduli space of representations of the corresponding quiver. This statement can be regarded as a novel type of categorification of knot invariants, and among its various consequences we find that Labastida-Mariño-Ooguri-Vafa (LMOV) invariants of a knot…
We construct explicit BPS and non-BPS solutions of the Yang-Mills equations on the noncommutative space R^{2n}_θx S^2 which have manifest spherical symmetry. Using SU(2)-equivariant dimensional reduction techniques, we show that the solutions imply an equivalence between instantons on R^{2n}_θx S^2 and nonabelian vortices on R^{2n}_θ, which can be interpreted as a blowing-up of a chain of D0-branes on R^{2n}_θinto a chain of spherical D2-branes on R^{2n} x S^2. The low-energy dynamics of these configurations is described by a quiver gauge theory which can be formulated in terms of new geometri…
We consider SU(3)-equivariant dimensional reduction of Yang-Mills theory on Kaehler manifolds of the form M x SU(3)/H, with H = SU(2) x U(1) or H = U(1) x U(1). The induced rank two quiver gauge theories on M are worked out in detail for representations of H which descend from a generic irreducible SU(3)-representation. The reduction of the Donaldson-Uhlenbeck-Yau equations on these spaces induces nonabelian quiver vortex equations on M, which we write down explicitly. When M is a noncommutative deformation of the space C^d, we construct explicit BPS and non-BPS solutions of finite energy for …
