We present the partition function of Chern-Simons theory with the exceptional gauge group on three-sphere in the form of a partition function of the refined closed topological string with relation $2τ=g_s(1-b) $ between single Kähler parameter $τ$, string coupling constant $g_s$ and refinement parameter $b$, where $b=\frac{5}{3},\frac{5}{2},3,4,6$ for $G_2, F_4, E_6, E_7, E_8$, respectively. The non-zero BPS invariants $N^d_{J_L,J_R}$ ($d$ - degree) are $N^2_{0,\frac{1}{2}}=1, N^{11}_{0,1}=1$. Besides these terms, partition function of Chern-Simons theory contains term corresponding to the refined constant maps of string theory.
Derivation is based on the universal (in Vogel's sense) form of a Chern-Simons partition function on three-sphere, restricted to exceptional line $Exc$ with Vogel's parameters satisfying $γ=2(α+β)$. This line contains points, corresponding to the all exceptional groups. The same results are obtained for $F$ line $γ=α+β$ (containing $SU(4), SO(10)$ and $E_6$ groups), with the non-zero $N^2_{0,\frac{1}{2}}=1, N^{7}_{0,1}=1$.
In both cases refinement parameter $b$ ($=-ε_2/ε_1$ in terms of Nekrasov's parameters) is given in terms of universal parameters, restricted to the line, by $b=-β/α$.
We present a new expression for the partition function of refined Chern-Simons theory on $S^3$ with arbitrary gauge group, which is explicitly equal to $1$, when the coupling constant is zero. Using this form of partition function we show that the previously known Krefl-Schwarz representation of partition function of refined Chern-Simons theory on $S^3$ can be generalized to all simply-laced algebras. For all non-simply-laced gauge algebras, we derive similar representations of that partition function, which makes it possible to transform it into a product of multiple sine functions aiming at …
We study 't Hooft lines and the associated $\mathcal{L}$- operators in topological 4D Chern-Simons theory with gauge symmetry given by the exceptional groups E$_{6}$ and E$_{7}$. We give their oscillator realisations and propose topological gauge quivers encoding the properties of these topological lines where Darboux coordinates are interpreted in terms of topological fundamental matter. Other related aspects are also described.
We show that partition function of Chern-Simons theory on three-sphere with classical and exceptional groups (actually on the whole corresponding lines in Vogel's plane) can be represented as ratio of respectively triple and double sine functions (last function is essentially a modular quantum dilogarithm). The product representation of sine functions gives Gopakumar-Vafa structure form of partition function, which in turn gives a corresponding integer invariants of manifold after geometrical transition. In this way we suggest to extend gauge/string duality to exceptional groups, although one …
We consider the matrix model of $U(N)$ refined Chern-Simons theory on $S^3$ for the unknot. We derive a $q$-difference operator whose insertion in the matrix integral reproduces an infinite set of Ward identities which we interpret as $q$-Virasoro constraints. The constraints are rewritten as difference equations for the generating function of Wilson loop expectation values which we solve as a recursion for the correlators of the model. The solution is repackaged in the form of superintegrability formulas for Macdonald polynomials. Additionally, we derive an equivalent $q$-difference operator …
We study the relationship between refined Chern-Simons theory on lens spaces S^3/Z_p and (q,t)-deformed Yang-Mills theory on the sphere S^2. We derive the instanton partition function of (q,t)-deformed U(N) Yang-Mills theory and describe it explicitly as an analytical continuation of the semi-classical expansion of refined Chern-Simons theory. The derivations are based on a generalization of the Weyl character formula to Macdonald polynomials. The expansion is used to formulate q-generalizations of beta-deformed matrix models for refined Chern-Simons theory, as well as conjectural formulas for…
We present the partition function of the refined Chern-Simons theory on $S^3$ with arbitrary A,B,C,D gauge algebra in terms of multiple sine functions. For B and C cases this representation is novel. It allows us to conjecture duality to some refined and orientifolded versions of the topological string on the resolved conifold, and carry out the detailed identification of different contributions. The free energies for D and C algebras possess the usual halved contribution from the A theory, i.e. orientable surfaces, and contributions of non-orientable surfaces with one cross-cup, with opposite…
We study the relation between the partition function of refined SU(N) and SO(2N) Chern-Simons on the 3-sphere and the universal Chern-Simons partition function in the sense of Mkrtchyan and Veselov. We find a four-parameter generalization of the integral representation of universal Chern-Simons that includes refined SU(N) and SO(2N) Chern-Simons for special values of parameters. The large N expansion of the integral representation of refined SU(N) Chern-Simons explicitly shows the replacement of the virtual Euler characteristic of the moduli space of complex curves with a refined Euler charact…
The Coulomb branch indices of Argyres-Douglas theories on $L(k,1)\times S^{1}$ are recently identified with matrix elements of modular transforms of certain $2d$ vertex operator algebras in a particular limit. A one parameter generalization of the modular transformation matrices of $(2N+3,2)$ minimal models are proposed to compute the full Coulomb branch index of $(A_{1},A_{2N})$ Argyres-Douglas theories on the same space. Morever, M-theory construction of these theories suggests direct connection to the refined Chern-Simons theory. The connection is made precise by showing how the modular tra…
The refined Chern-Simons theory is a one-parameter deformation of the ordinary Chern-Simons theory on Seifert manifolds. It is defined via an index of the theory on N M5 branes, where the corresponding one-parameter deformation is a natural deformation of the geometric background. Analogously with the unrefined case, the solution of refined Chern-Simons theory is given in terms of S and T matrices, which are the proper Macdonald deformations of the usual ones. This provides a direct way to compute refined Chern-Simons invariants of a wide class of three-manifolds and knots. The knot invariants…
We show that refined Chern-Simons theory and large N duality can be used to study the refined topological string with and without branes. We derive the refined topological vertex of hep-th/0701156 and hep-th/0502061 from a link invariant of the refined SU(N) Chern-Simons theory on S^3, at infinite N. Quiver-like Chern-Simons theories, arising from Calabi-Yau manifolds with branes wrapped on several minimal S^3's, give a dual description of a large class of toric Calabi-Yau. We use this to derive the refined topological string amplitudes on a toric Calabi-Yau containing a shrinking P^2 surface.…
We use conformal embeddings involving exceptional affine Kac-Moody algebras to derive new dualities of three-dimensional topological field theories. These generalize the familiar level-rank duality of Chern-Simons theories based on classical gauge groups to the setting of exceptional gauge groups. For instance, one duality sequence we discuss is $(E_{N})_{1}\leftrightarrow SU(9-N)_{-1}$. Others such as $SO(3)_{8}\leftrightarrow PSU(3)_{-6},$ are dualities among theories with classical gauge groups that arise due to their embedding into an exceptional chiral algebra. We apply these equivalences…
Exceptional Field Theory has been recently shown to be very powerful to compute Kaluza-Klein spectra. Using these techniques, the mass matrix of Kaluza-Klein vector perturbations about a specific class of AdS$_4$ solutions of $D=11$ and massive type IIA supergravity is determined. These results are then employed to characterise the complete supersymmetric spectrum about some notable ${\cal N}=2$ and ${\cal N}=3$ AdS$_4$ solutions in this class, which are dual to specific three-dimensional superconformal Chern-Simons field theories.
We establish a relation between the refined Hopf link invariant and the S-matrix of the refined Chern-Simons theory. We show that the refined open string partition function corresponding to the Hopf link, calculated using the refined topological vertex, when expressed in the basis of Macdonald polynomials gives the S-matrix of the refined Chern-Simons theory.
We discuss a generalization of Chern-Simons theory in three dimensions based on Leibniz (or Loday) algebras, which are generalizations of Lie algebras. Special cases of such theories appear in gauged supergravity, where the Leibniz algebra is defined in terms of the global (Lie) symmetry algebra of the ungauged limit and an embedding tensor. We show that the Leibniz algebra of generalized diffeomorphisms in exceptional field theory can similarly be obtained from a Lie algebra that describes the enhanced symmetry of an `ungauged phase' of the theory. Moreover, we show that a `topological phase'…
We study refined topological string theory in the presence of orientifolds by counting second-quantized BPS states in M-theory. This leads us to propose a new integrality condition for both refined and unrefined topological strings when orientifolds are present. We define the SO(2N) refined Chern-Simons theory which computes refined open string amplitudes for branes wrapping Seifert three-manifolds. We use the SO(2N) refined Chern-Simons theory to compute new invariants of torus knots that generalize the Kauffman polynomials. At large N, the SO(2N) refined Chern-Simons theory on the three-sphe…
We invoke universal Chern-Simons theory to analytically calculate the exact free energy of the refined topological string on the resolved conifold. In the unrefined limit we reproduce non-perturbative corrections for the resolved conifold found elsewhere in the literature, thereby providing strong evidence that the Chern-Simons / topological string duality is exact, and in particular holds at arbitrary N as well. In the refined case, the non-perturbative corrections we find are novel and appear to be non-trivial. We show that non-perturbatively special treatment is needed for rational valued d…
We formulate large $N$ duality of $\mathrm{U}(N)$ refined Chern-Simons theory with a torus knot/link in $S^3$. By studying refined BPS states in M-theory, we provide the explicit form of low-energy effective actions of Type IIA string theory with D4-branes on the $Ω$-background. This form enables us to relate refined Chern-Simons invariants of a torus knot/link in $S^3$ to refined BPS invariants in the resolved conifold. Assuming that the extra $\mathrm{U}(1)$ global symmetry acts on BPS states trivially, the duality predicts graded dimensions of cohomology groups of moduli spaces of M2-M5 bou…
We formulate a refinement of SU(N) Chern-Simons theory on a three-manifold via the refined topological string and the (2,0) theory on N M5 branes. The refined Chern-Simons theory is defined on any three-manifold with a semi-free circle action. We give an explicit solution of the theory, in terms of a one-parameter refinement of the S and T matrices of Chern-Simons theory, related to the theory of Macdonald polynomials. The ordinary and refined Chern-Simons theory are similar in many ways; for example, the Verlinde formula holds in both. We obtain new topological invariants of Seifert three-man…
Aganagic and Shakirov propose a refinement of the SU(N) Chern-Simons theory for links in three manifolds with S^1-symmetry, such as torus knots in S^3, based on deformation of the S and T matrices, originally found by Kirillov and Cherednik. We relate the large N limit of the S matrix to the Hilbert schemes of points on the affine plane. As an application, we find an explicit formula for the Euler characteristics of the universal sheaf, applied arbitrary Schur functor.
We study the partition function of the ABJ theory, which is the N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons matter theory with gauge group U(N)xU(N+M) and Chern-Simons levels (k,-k). We exactly compute the ABJ partition function on a three sphere for various k, M and N via the Fermi gas approach. By using these exact data, we show that the ABJ partition function is completely determined by the refined topological string on local P^1 x P^1, including membrane instanton effects in the M-theory dual.
For Chern-Simons-matter theories in three dimensions, gauge invariance may require the Chern-Simons level k to be half-integral, in which case parity is violated. As noted by Pasquetti for abelian theories with N=2 supersymmetry, the partition function on the ellipsoid also admits a suitable holomorphic factorization precisely when the value of k is properly quantized. Using known formulas for the partition function, we investigate analytic aspects of this factorization for non-abelian gauge groups and general matter representations. We verify that factorization occurs in accord with the parit…
We study the open refined topological string amplitudes using the refined topological vertex. We determine the refinement of holonomies necessary to describe the boundary conditions of open amplitudes (which in particular satisfy the required integrality properties). We also derive the refined holonomies using the refined Chern-Simons theory.
We consider the link average of the half-BPS Wilson loop operators in N = 6 superconformal Chern-Simons-matter theory, which is called ABJM theory. We show that this loop average is reduced to a (super)matrix integral by the localization method, in a similar way to the bosonic U(N) Chern-Simons theory. Using this matrix integral, we compute the two- and three-link averages with an operator formalism inspired by a three-dimensional topological field theory. We obtain a factorization of the link average, and the Verlinde formula in a sector of supergroup representations. We also propose a refine…
We study junctions of Wilson lines in refined SU(N) Chern-Simons theory and their local relations. We focus on junctions of Wilson lines in antisymmetric and symmetric powers of the fundamental representation and propose a set of local relations which realize one-parameter deformations of quantum groups $\dot{U}_{q}(\mathfrak{sl}_{m})$ and $\dot{U}_{q}(\mathfrak{sl}_{n|m})$.
Closed simple integral representation through Vogel's universal parameters is found both for perturbative and nonperturbative (which is inverse invariant group volume) parts of free energy of Chern-Simons theory on $S^3$. This proves the universality of that partition function. For classical groups it manifestly satisfy N \rightarrow -N duality, in apparent contradiction with previously used ones. For SU(N) we show that asymptotic of nonperturbative part of our partition function coincides with that of Barnes G-function, recover Chern-Simons/topological string duality in genus expansion and re…
It was known that the ABJM matrix model is dual to the topological string theory on a Calabi-Yau manifold. Using this relation it was possible to write down the exact instanton expansion of the partition function of the ABJM matrix model. The expression consists of a universal function constructed from the free energy of the refined topological string theory with an overall topological invariant characterizing the Calabi-Yau manifold. In this paper we explore two other superconformal Chern-Simons theories of the circular quiver type. We find that the partition function of one theory enjoys the…
We study matrix models in the beta ensemble by building on the refined recursion relation proposed by Chekhov and Eynard. We present explicit results for the first beta-deformed corrections in the one-cut and the two-cut cases, as well as two applications to supersymmetric gauge theories: the calculation of superpotentials in N=1 gauge theories, and the calculation of vevs of surface operators in superconformal N=2 theories and their Liouville duals. Finally, we study the beta deformation of the Chern-Simons matrix model. Our results indicate that this model does not provide an appropriate des…
It was known that quantum curves and super Chern-Simons matrix models correspond to each other. From the viewpoint of symmetry, the algebraic curve of genus one, called the del Pezzo curve, enjoys symmetry of the exceptional algebra, while the super Chern-Simons matrix model is described by the free energy of topological strings on the del Pezzo background with the symmetry broken. We study the symmetry breaking of the quantum cousin of the algebraic curve and reproduce the results in the super Chern-Simons matrix model.
We construct novel web diagrams with a trivalent or quadrivalent gluing for various 6d/5d theories from certain Higgsings of 6d conformal matter theories on a circle. The theories realized on the web diagrams include 5d Kaluza-Klein theories from circle compactifications of the 6d $G_2$ gauge theory with 4 flavors, the 6d $F_4$ gauge theory with 3 flavors, the 6d $E_6$ gauge theory with 4 flavors and the 6d $E_7$ gauge theory with 3 flavors. The Higgsings also give rise to 5d Kaluza-Klein theories from twisted compactifications of 6d theories including the 5d pure SU(3) gauge theory with the C…
A refined expression for the Faddeev-Popov determinant is derived for gauge theories quantised around a reducible classical solution. We apply this result to Chern-Simons perturbation theory on compact spacetime 3-manifolds with quantisation around an arbitrary flat gauge field isolated up to gauge transformations, pointing out that previous results on the finiteness and formal metric-independence of perturbative expansions of the partition function continue to hold.
It has been proposed recently that the topological A-model string theory on local toric Calabi-Yau manifolds has a two parameter extension. Amplitudes of the two parameter topological strings can be computed using a diagrammatic method called the refined topological vertex. In this paper we study properties of the refined amplitudes under the flop transition of toric Calabi-Yau three-folds. We also discuss that the slicing invariance and the flop transition imply a simple formula for the homological sl(N) invariants of the Hopf link. The new expression for the invariants gives a simple refinem…
In this paper, we give a construction of the global Chern-Simons functions for toric Calabi-Yau stacks of dimension three using strong exceptional collections. The moduli spaces of sheaves on such stacks can be identified with critical loci of these functions. We give two applications of these functions. First, we prove Joyce's integrality conjecture of generalized DT invariants on local surfaces. Second, we prove a dimension reduction formula for virtual motives, which leads to two recursion formulas for motivic Donaldson-Thomas invariants.
We reinterpret the generalised Lie derivative of M-theory $E_6$ generalised geometry as hamiltonian flow on a graded symplectic supermanifold. The hamiltonian acts as the nilpotent derivative of the tensor hierarchy of exceptional field theory. This construction is an M-theory analogue of the Courant algebroid and reveals the $L_\infty$-algebra underlying the tensor hierarchy. The AKSZ construction identifies that same hamiltonian with the lagrangian of a 7-dimensional generalisation of Chern-Simons theory that reduces to the M5-brane Wess-Zumino term on 5-brane boundaries. The exercise repeat…
We propose refined topological vertex formalism for 5-brane systems with ON-planes by introducing a new vertex associated with reflection over an ON-plane, which gives rise to new vertex and edge factors. We test our proposal against various 5d $\mathcal{N}=1$ gauge theories which can be realized as 5-brane webs with ON-planes, which include $D$-type quiver theories. In particular, we compute the refined partition functions for 6d E-string theory on a circle as well as 5d SU(3) theory at the Chern-Simons level 9, which can be realized as 5-brane webs with two ON-planes. Our results completely …
The building blocks of 6d $(1,0)$ SCFTs include certain rank one theories with gauge group $G=SU(3),SO(8),F_4,E_{6,7,8}$. In this paper, we propose a universal recursion formula for the elliptic genera of all such theories. This formula is solved from the elliptic blowup equations introduced in our previous paper. We explicitly compute the elliptic genera and refined BPS invariants, which recover all previous results from topological string theory, modular bootstrap, Hilbert series, 2d quiver gauge theories and 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal $H_{G}$ theories. We also observe an intriguing r…
We study the large-$N$ limit of superconformal index for two strongly interacting Chern-Simons theories in three dimensions with $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetry, and compare the result against the AdS/CFT dual, namely the data of full Kaluza-Klein reduction spectra obtained using the exceptional field theory technique. The two theories of interest are mABJM and GJV theories, which are obtained as IR fixed point of RG whose UV description is ABJM and maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory respectively. We confirm agreement and the duality persists. For the case of mABJM it turns out that we n…
We study the entanglement for a state on linked torus boundaries in $3d$ Chern-Simons theory with a generic gauge group and present the asymptotic bounds of Rényi entropy at two different limits: (i) large Chern-Simons coupling $k$, and (ii) large rank $r$ of the gauge group. These results show that the Rényi entropies cannot diverge faster than $\ln k$ and $\ln r$, respectively. We focus on torus links $T(2,2n)$ with topological linking number $n$. The Rényi entropy for these links shows a periodic structure in $n$ and vanishes whenever $n = 0 \text{ (mod } \textsf{p})$, where the integer $\t…
A new matrix model is described, based on the exceptional Jordan algebra. The action is cubic, as in matrix Chern-Simons theory. We describe a compactification that, we argue, reproduces, at the one loop level, an octonionic compactification of the matrix string theory in which SO(8) is broken to G2. There are 27 matrix degrees of freedom, which under Spin(8) transform as the vector, spinor and conjugate spinor, plus three singlets, which represent the two longitudinal coordinates plus an eleventh coordinate. Supersymmetry appears to be related to triality of the representations of Spin(8).
We characterise the quantum group gauge symmetries underlying q-deformations of two-dimensional Yang-Mills theory by studying their relationships with the matrix models that appear in Chern-Simons theory and six-dimensional N=2 gauge theories, together with their refinements and supersymmetric extensions. We develop uniqueness results for quantum deformations and refinements of gauge theories in two dimensions, and describe several potential analytic and geometric realisations of them. We reconstruct standard q-deformed Yang-Mills amplitudes via gluing rules in the representation category of t…
We consider interesting Seiberg dualities for $Usp$ gauge theories with an antisymmetric, $8$ fundamentals and no superpotential. We reduce to three dimensions and systematically analyze deformations triggered by real and complex masses, reaching a plethora of $\mathcal{N}\!=\!2$ dualities for $U(N)$ and $Usp(2N)$ gauge theories, possibly with monopole superpotentials and Chern-Simons interactions. Special cases of these "exceptional dualities" are: supersymmetry enhancement dualities, "duality appetizers" and many known dualities relating rank-$1$ gauge groups. The $4d$ $\mathcal{N}\!=\!1$ $U…
We investigate Refined Algebraic Quantization (RAQ) with group averaging in a constrained Hamiltonian system with unreduced phase space T^*R^4 and gauge group SL(2,R). The reduced phase space M is connected and contains four mutually disconnected `regular' sectors with topology R x S^1, but these sectors are connected to each other through an exceptional set where M is not a manifold and where M has non-Hausdorff topology. The RAQ physical Hilbert space H_{phys} decomposes as H_{phys} = (direct sum of) H_i, where the four subspaces H_i naturally correspond to the four regular sectors of M. The…
In (3+1)-dimensional SU(Nc) Yang-Mills (YM) theory, the Chern-Simons diffusion rate, Gamma_{CS}, is determined by the zero-momentum, zero-frequency limit of the retarded two-point function of the CP-odd operator tr[F ^ F], with F the YM field strength. The Chern-Simons diffusion rate is a crucial ingredient for many CP-odd phenomena, including the chiral magnetic effect in the quark-gluon plasma. We compute Gamma_{CS} in the high-temperature, deconfined phase of Improved Holographic QCD, a refined holographic model for large-Nc YM theory. Our result for Gamma_{CS}/(sT), where s is entropy dens…
We develop exceptional field theory for E$_{8(8)}$, defined on a (3+248)-dimensional generalized spacetime with extended coordinates in the adjoint representation of E$_{8(8)}$. The fields transform under E$_{8(8)}$ generalized diffeomorphisms and are subject to covariant section constraints. The bosonic fields include an `internal' dreibein and an E$_{8(8)}$-valued `zweihundertachtundvierzigbein' (248-bein). Crucially, the theory also features gauge vectors for the E$_{8(8)}$ E-bracket governing the generalized diffeomorphism algebra and covariantly constrained gauge vectors for a separate bu…
The proper action functional of (4k+3)-dimensional U(1)-Chern-Simons theory including the instanton sectors has a well known description: it is given on the moduli space of fields by the fiber integration of the cup product square of classes in degree-(2k+2) differential cohomology. We first refine this statement from the moduli space to the full higher smooth moduli stack of fields, to which the higher order-ghost BRST complex is the infinitesimal approximation. Then we generalize the refined formulation to cup product Chern-Simons theories of nonabelian and higher nonabelian gauge fields, su…
We derive an index theorem for the Dirac operator in the background of various topological excitations on an R^3 \times S^1 geometry. The index theorem provides more refined data than the APS index for an instanton on R^4 and reproduces it in decompactification limit. In the R^3 limit, it reduces to the Callias index theorem. The index is expressed in terms of topological charge and the eta-invariant associated with the boundary Dirac operator. Neither topological charge nor eta-invariant is typically an integer, however, the non-integer parts cancel to give an integer-valued index. Our deriva…
The Chern-Simons amended gravity theory appears as a low-energy effective theory of string theory. The effective theory includes an anomaly-cancelation correction to the Einstein-Hilbert action. The Chern-Simons expression consists of the product $φR \tilde R $ of the Pontryagin density $R \tilde R $ with a scalar field $φ$, where the latter is considered as a background field (dynamical construction or non-dynamical construction). Many different solutions to Einstein's general relativity continue to be valid in the amended theories. The Kerr metric is, however, considered an exceptional case …
Flat connections for unitary gauge groups on a 3--torus with twisted boundary conditions as well as recently discovered periodic nontrivial flat connections with ``nondiagonalizable'' triples of holonomies for higher orthogonal and exceptional groups are constructed explicitly in terms of Jacobi theta functions with rational characteristics. The (fractional) Chern-Simons numbers of these vacuum gauge field configurations are verified by direct computation.
We discuss 3d brane webs and effective Chern-Simons levels for 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ gauge theories. We find that turning on real masses for chiral multiplets leads to various equivalent brane webs that are related by flipping positions of D5-branes. We interpret flips as $ST$-transformations for chiral multiplets. $ST$-transformations could turn abelian theories into dual theories with mixed Chern-Simons levels that are interpreted as quiver matrices $C_{ij}$ encoding DT-invariants. We notice that each brane web corresponds to a quiver matrix. $ST$-transformations of holomorphic blocks are discu…
By embedding N=2 gauge theories in string theory and utilizing string dualities we map the counting of BPS states with arbitrary electric and magnetic charges to computations of an A-model topological string on an associated geometry constructed from the data of the SW curve. We show how the conjecture of Kontsevich and Soibelman regarding wall crossing, as well as a more refined version which captures the spin content of BPS states, is a natural consequence. Chern-Simons theory realized on A-branes and a twistorial construction play key roles.
