Non-perturbative string theory from AdS/CFT

Abstract The large N expansion of giant graviton correlators is considered. Giant gravitons are described using operators with a bare dimension of order N . In this case the usual 1/N expansion is not applicable and there are contributions to the correlator that are non-perturbative in character. By writing the (square of the) correlators in terms of the hypergeometric function 2 F 1(a, b; c; 1), we are able to rephrase the 1/N expansion of the correlator as a semi-classical expansion for a Schrödinger equation. In this way we are able to argue that the 1/N expansion of the correlator is Borel summable and that it exhibits a parametric Stokes phenomenon as the angular momentum of the giant graviton is varied.