Search

We present a new perturbative/non-perturbative (P/NP) relation that applies to a broader class of genus-1 potentials, including those that possess real and complex instantons parametrized by a deformation parameter, such as polynomial and elliptic potentials. Our findings significantly extend the scope of quantum mechanical systems for which perturbation theory suffices to calculate the contributions of non-perturbative effects to energy levels, with or without the need for a boundary condition, depending on the potential. We further provide evidence for our results by predicting the corrections to the large-order behavior of the perturbative expansion for the Jacobi SD elliptic potential using the early terms of the instanton fluctuations that satisfy the P/NP relation., Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures

We study a parametric deformation of the unified genus-1 anharmonic potential and derive a parametric form of perturbative/non-perturbative (P/NP) relation, applicable across all parameter values. We explicitly demonstrate that the perturbative expansion around the perturbative saddle is sufficient to generate all the nonperturbative information in these systems. Our results confirm the known results in the literature, where the cubic and quartic anharmonic potentials are reproduced under extreme parameter values, and go beyond these known results by developing the nonperturbative function of real and complex instantons solely from perturbative data., Comment: 16 pages, minor corrections, additional references

We introduce an R-matrix formulation of qq-characters and corresponding Frenkel-Reshetikhin deformed W-algebras. The R-matrix featuring in the construction is of Ding-Iohara-Miki (DIM) algebra, while the type of the qq-character is determined by the network of Fock representations corresponding to a web of 5-branes geometrically engineering a quiver gauge theory. Our formulation gives a unified description of qq-characters of $A_n$ type and their elliptic uplifts., Comment: 41 pages, 15 figures

Supersymmetric gauge theories of certain class possess a large hidden nonperturbative symmetry described by the Ding-Iohara-Miki (DIM) algebra which can be used to compute their partition functions and correlators very efficiently. We lift the DIM-algebraic approach developed to study holomorphic blocks of 3d linear quiver gauge theories one dimension higher. We employ an algebraic construction in which the underlying trigonometric DIM algebra is elliptically deformed, and an alternative geometric approach motivated by topological string theory. We demonstrate the equivalence of these two methods, and motivated by this, prove that elliptic DIM algebra is isomorphic to the direct sum of a trigonometric DIM algebra and an additional Heisenberg algebra., Comment: 23 pages, 1 figure

Let $\mathfrak{g}$ be a simple Lie algebra. We study 1/2-BPS Wilson loops of supersymmetric 5d $\mathfrak{g}$-type quiver gauge theories on a circle, in a non-trivial instanton background. The Wilson loops are codimension 4 defects of the gauge theory, and their interaction with self-dual instantons is captured by a modified 1d ADHM quantum mechanics. We compute the partition function as its Witten index. This index is a "$qq$-character" of a finite-dimensional irreducible representation of the quantum affine algebra $U_q(\hat{\mathfrak{g}})$. Using gauge/vortex duality, we can understand the 5d physics in 3d gauge theory terms. Namely, we reinterpret the 5d theory with vortex flux from the point of view of the vortices themselves. This vortex perspective has an advantage: it has yet another dual description in terms of deformed $\mathfrak{g}$-type Toda Theory on a cylinder, in free field formalism. We show that the gauge theory partition function is equal to a chiral correlator of the deformed Toda Theory, with stress tensor and higher spin operator insertions. We derive all the above results from type IIB string theory, compactified on a resolved $ADE$ singularity times a cylinder with punctures, with various branes wrapping the blown-up 2-cycles., Comment: 127 pages, 16 figures; v2: fixed typos, added references

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.

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 transformation matrices of refined Chern-Simons theory are related to the proposed generalized ones for minimal models and the identification of Coulomb branch indices with the partition function of the refined Chern-Simons theory., Comment: 30 pages

Starting from type IIB string theory on an $ADE$ singularity, the $(2,0)$ little string arises when one takes the string coupling $g_s$ to 0. In this setup, we give a unified description of the codimension-two defects of the little string, labeled by a simple Lie algebra ${\mathfrak{g}}$. Geometrically, these are D5 branes wrapping 2-cycles of the singularity, subject to a certain folding operation when the algebra is non simply-laced. Equivalently, the defects are specified by a certain set of weights of $^L {\mathfrak{g}}$, the Langlands dual of ${\mathfrak{g}}$. As a first application, we show that the instanton partition function of the ${\mathfrak{g}}$-type quiver gauge theory on the defect is equal to a 3-point conformal block of the ${\mathfrak{g}}$-type deformed Toda theory in the Coulomb gas formalism. As a second application, we argue that in the $(2,0)$ CFT limit, the Coulomb branch of the defects flows to a nilpotent orbit of ${\mathfrak{g}}$., Comment: 63 pages + 12 figures; v2: corrected typos and added references

We explore a one parameter $\zeta$-deformation of the quantum-mechanical Sine-Gordon and Double-Well potentials which we call the Double Sine-Gordon (DSG) and the Tilted Double Well (TDW), respectively. In these systems, for positive integer values of $\zeta$, the lowest $\zeta$ states turn out to be exactly solvable for DSG - a feature known as Quasi-Exact-Solvability (QES) - and solvable to all orders in perturbation theory for TDW. For DSG such states do not show any instanton-like dependence on the coupling constant, although the action has real saddles. On the other hand, although it has no real saddles, the TDW admits all-orders perturbative states that are not normalizable, and hence, requires a non-perturbative energy shift. Both of these puzzles are solved by including complex saddles. We show that the convergence is dictated by the quantization of the hidden topological angle. Further, we argue that the QES systems can be linked to the exact cancellation of real and complex non-perturbative saddles to all orders in the semi-classical expansion. We also show that the entire resurgence structure remains encoded in the analytic properties of the $\zeta$-deformation, even though exactly at integer values of $\zeta$ the mechanism of resurgence is obscured by the lack of ambiguity in both the Borel sum of the perturbation theory as well as the non-perturbative contributions. In this way, all of the characteristics of resurgence remains even when its role seems to vanish, much like the lingering grin of the Cheshire Cat. We also show that the perturbative series is Self-resurgent -a feature by which there is a one-to-one relation between the early terms of the perturbative expansion and the late terms of the same expansion -which is intimately connected with the Dunne-\"{U}nsal relation. We explicitly verify that this is indeed the case., Comment: 41 pages

We study certain six dimensional theories arising on $(p,q)$ brane webs living on $\mathbb{R}\times S^1$. These brane webs are dual to toric elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau threefolds. The compactification of the space on which the brane web lives leads to a deformation of the partition functions equivalent to the elliptic deformation of the Ding-Iohara algebra. We compute the elliptic version Dotsenko-Fateev integrals and show that they reproduce the instanton counting of the six dimensional theory., Comment: 35 pages, references added

We consider M-theory in the presence of M parallel M5-branes probing a transverse A_{N-1} singularity. This leads to a superconformal theory with (1,0) supersymmetry in six dimensions. We compute the supersymmetric partition function of this theory on a two-torus, with arbitrary supersymmetry preserving twists, using the topological vertex formalism. Alternatively, we show that this can also be obtained by computing the elliptic genus of an orbifold of recently studied M-strings. The resulting 2d theory is a (4,0) supersymmetric quiver gauge theory whose Higgs branch corresponds to strings propagating on the moduli space of SU(N)^{M-1} instantons on R^4 where the right-moving fermions are coupled to a particular bundle., Comment: 40 pages, 14 figures

Conformal blocks of Liouville theory have a Coulomb-gas representation as Dotsenko-Fateev (DF) integrals over the positions of screening charges. For q-deformed Liouville, the conformal blocks on a sphere with an arbitrary number of punctures are manifestly the same, when written in DF representation, as the partition functions of a class of 3d U(N) gauge theories with N=2 supersymmetry, in the Omega-background. Coupling the 3d gauge theory to a flavor in fundamental representation corresponds to inserting a Liouville vertex operator; the two real mass parameters determine the momentum and position of the puncture. The DF integrals can be computed by residues. The result is the instanton sum of a five dimensional N=1 gauge theory. The positions of the poles are labeled by tuples of partitions, the residues of the integrand are the Nekrasov summands., Comment: 50 pages, 3 figures. v2: Typos corrected, aspects of 3d gauge theory clarified, references added

M2 branes suspended between adjacent parallel M5 branes lead to light strings, the `M-strings'. In this paper we compute the elliptic genus of M-strings, twisted by maximally allowed symmetries that preserve 2d (2,0) supersymmetry. In a codimension one subspace of parameters this reduces to the elliptic genus of the (4,4) supersymmetric A_{n-1} quiver theory in 2d. We contrast the elliptic genus of N M-strings with the (4,4) sigma model on the N-fold symmetric product of R^4. For N=1 they are the same, but for N>1 they are close, but not identical. Instead the elliptic genus of (4,4) N M-strings is the same as the elliptic genus of (4,0) sigma models on the N-fold symmetric product of R^4, but where the right-moving fermions couple to a modification of the tangent bundle. This construction arises from a dual A_{n-1} quiver 6d gauge theory with U(1) gauge groups. Moreover we compute the elliptic genus of domain walls which separate different numbers of M2 branes on the two sides of the wall., Comment: 75 pages, 16 figures. Minor corrections to the paper, references added

We calculate the refined topological string partition function of the Calabi-Yau threefold which is the total space of the canonical bundle on $\mathbb{P}^2$ (the local $\mathbb{P}^2$). The refined topological vertex formalism can not be directly applied to local $\mathbb{P}^2$ therefore we use the properties of the refined Hopf link to define a new two legged vertex which together with the refined vertex gives the partition function of the local $\mathbb{P}^2$., Comment: 16 pages

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., Comment: 17 pages

Recently Alday and Tachikawa proposed a relation between conformal blocks in a two-dimensional theory with affine sl(2) symmetry and instanton partition functions in four-dimensional conformal N=2 SU(2) quiver gauge theories in the presence of a certain surface operator. In this paper we extend this proposal to a relation between conformal blocks in theories with affine sl(N) symmetry and instanton partition functions in conformal N=2 SU(N) quiver gauge theories in the presence of a surface operator. We also discuss the extension to non-conformal N=2 SU(N) theories., Comment: 40 pages. v2: minor changes and clarifications

It has recently been argued by Alday et al that the inclusion of surface operators in 4d N=2 SU(2) quiver gauge theories should correspond to insertions of certain degenerate operators in the dual Liouville theory. So far only the insertion of a single surface operator has been treated (in a semi-classical limit). In this paper we study and generalise this proposal. Our approach relies on the use of topological string theory techniques. On the B-model side we show that the effects of multiple surface operator insertions in 4d N=2 gauge theories can be calculated using the B-model topological recursion method, valid beyond the semi-classical limit. On the mirror A-model side we find by explicit computations that the 5d lift of the SU(N) gauge theory partition function in the presence of (one or many) surface operators is equal to an A-model topological string partition function with the insertion of (one or many) toric branes. This is in agreement with an earlier proposal by Gukov. Our A-model results were motivated by and agree with what one obtains by combining the AGT conjecture with the dual interpretation in terms of degenerate operators. The topological string theory approach also opens up new possibilities in the study of 2d Toda field theories., Comment: 43 pages. v2: Added references, including a reference to unpublished work by S.Gukov; minor changes and clarifications.

Type IIA string theory compactified on an elliptic CY3-fold gives rise to N=2 U(1) gauge theory with an adjoint hypermultiplet. We study the refined open and closed topological string partition functions of this geometry using the refined topological vertex. We show that these partition functions, open and closed, are examples of periodic Schur process and are related to the generating function of the cylindric partitions if the Kahler parameters are quantized in units of string coupling. The level-rank duality appears as the exchange symmetry of the two Kahler parameters of the elliptic CY3-fold., Comment: 17 Pages

We study the partition function of the compactified 5D U(1) gauge theory (in the Omega-background) with a single adjoint hypermultiplet, calculated using the refined topological vertex. We show that this partition function is an example a periodic Schur process and is a refinement of the generating function of cylindric plane partitions. The size of the cylinder is given by the mass of adjoint hypermultiplet and the parameters of the Omega-background. We also show that this partition function can be written as a trace of operators which are generalizations of vertex operators studied by Carlsson and Okounkov. In the last part of the paper we describe a way to obtain (q,t) identities using the refined topological vertex., Comment: 40 Pages

We establish a direct map between refined topological vertex and sl(N) homological invariants of the of Hopf link, which include Khovanov-Rozansky homology as a special case. This relation provides an exact answer for homological invariants of the of Hopf link, whose components are colored by arbitrary representations of sl(N). At present, the mathematical formulation of such homological invariants is available only for the fundamental representation (the Khovanov-Rozansky theory) and the relation with the refined topological vertex should be useful for categorifying quantum group invariants associated with other representations (R_1, R_2). Our result is a first direct verification of a series of conjectures which identifies link homologies with the Hilbert space of BPS states in the presence of branes, where the physical interpretation of gradings is in terms of charges of the branes ending on Lagrangian branes., Comment: 38 pages, 5 figures

We define a refined topological vertex which depends in addition on a parameter, which physically corresponds to extending the self-dual graviphoton field strength to a more general configuration. Using this refined topological vertex we compute, using geometric engineering, a two-parameter (equivariant) instanton expansion of gauge theories which reproduce the results of Nekrasov. The refined vertex is also expected to be related to Khovanov knot invariants., Comment: 70 Pages, 23 Figures