New Limits for Large $N$ Matrix and Tensor Models: Large $D$, Melons and Applications

Large $N$ matrix models play an important role in modern theoretical physics, ranging from quantum chromodynamics to string theory and holography. However, they remain a difficult technical challenge because in most cases it is not known how to perform the sum over planar graphs, which dominate the models at large $N$. In this thesis, we study large $D$ matrix models, which provide a framework to build new limits for matrix models in which the sum over planar graphs simplifies when $D$ is large. The basic degrees of freedom are real matrices of size $N\times N$ with $r$ additional indices of range $D$. They can be interpreted as a real tensor of rank $R=r+2$ with indices of different ranges, making a compelling connection with tensor models. We define a new large $D$ limit for the sum over Feynman graphs of fixed genus in matrix models, based on an enhanced large $D$ scaling of the coupling constants. Then, we show that the resulting large $D$ expansion is well-defined and organized according to a half-integer called the index. When $N=D$, the result provides a new large $N$ limit for general $\text{O}(N)^R$ invariant tensor models. In the large $D$ limit, the sum over planar graphs of large $N$ matrix models simplifies to a non-trivial sum over generalized melonic graphs. This class of graphs extends the one obtained in tensor models with standard scaling and allows for a wider class of interactions, including all the maximally single-trace terms. The general classification of generalized melonic graphs remains an open problem. However, in the case of the complete interaction of order $R+1$ for $R$ a prime number, we identify them in detail and demonstrate that they exhibit the same important features as the SYK model with $q=(R+1)$-fold random interactions, including the emergent conformal symmetry in the infrared regime and maximal chaos.