Related papers: On refined Chern-Simons / topological string duali…

We consider branes in refined topological strings. We argue that their wave-functions satisfy a Schr\"odinger equation depending on multiple times and prove this in the case where the topological string has a dual matrix model description.…

We present a finite-dimensional and smooth formulation of string structures on spin bundles. It uses trivializations of the Chern-Simons 2-gerbe associated to this bundle. Our formulation is particularly suitable to deal with string…

F-theory compactifications with a nontrivial Mordell-Weil group realize abelian gauge symmetry through rational sections, but their consistency is ultimately a statement about the quantum effective action. We show that compactification on a…

We introduce Deligne cohomology that classifies U(1) fibre bundles over 3-manifolds endowed with connections. We show how the structure of Deligne cohomology classes provides a way to perform exact (non-perturbative) computations in U(1)…

We compare large $N$ expansion of the localization result for the free energy $F$ in the 3d $\mathcal{N}=6$ superconformal $U(N)_k \times U(N)_{-k}$ Chern-Simons-matter theory to its AdS/CFT counterpart, i.e. to the perturbative expansion…

We attempt to determine the partition function of ${\cal N}=4$ super Yang-Mills theory for $ADE$ gauge groups on $K3$ and investigate the relation with affine Lie algebras. In particular we describe eta functions, which compose SU(N)…

We derive (quasi-)quantum groups in 2+1 dimensional topological field theory directly from the classical action and the path integral. Detailed computations are carried out for the Chern-Simons theory with finite gauge group. The principles…

We study Seiberg-like dualities in three dimensional N=2 supersymmetric theories, emphasizing Chern-Simons terms for the global symmetry group, which affect contact terms in two-point functions of global currents and are essential to the…

One of the most intriguing aspects of Chern-Simons-type topological models is the fractional statistics of point particles which has been shown essential for our understanding of the fractional quantum Hall effects. Furthermore these ideas…

In this work, we study a class of higher derivative couplings in the string effective action arising at the junction of topological string theory and supersymmetric gauge theories in the $\Omega$-background. They generalise a series of…

Extending previous work that involved D3-branes ending on a fivebrane with $\theta_{\mathrm{YM}}\not=0$, we consider a similar two-sided problem. This construction, in case the fivebrane is of NS type, is associated to the three-dimensional…

We study the vacuum structure of spin-3 higher-spin supergravity in AdS_3 spacetime. The theory can be written as a Chern-Simons theory based on the Lie superalgebra sl(3|2). We find three distinct AdS_3 vacua, AdS^(1), AdS^(2) and AdS^(p),…

We develop elementary canonical methods for the quantization of abelian and nonabelian Chern-Simons actions using well known ideas in gauge theories and quantum gravity. Our approach does not involve choice of gauge or clever manipulations…

We study half-BPS surface operators in 5d N=1 gauge theories compactified on a circle. Using localization methods and the twisted chiral ring relations of coupled 3d/5d quiver gauge theories, we calculate the twisted chiral superpotential…

The instanton partition function of N=2, D=4 SU(2) gauge theory is obtained by taking the field theory limit of the topological open string partition function, given by a Chern-Simons theory, of a CY3-fold. The CY3-fold on the open string…

In this thesis we discuss non-perturbative phenomena emerging in gauge and in string/supergravity theories. We compute the partition function of 5D minimal supersymmetric U(1) gauge theory with extra adjoint matter in general…

The level-k U(1) Chern-Simons theory is a spin topological quantum field theory for k odd. Its dynamics is captured by the 2d CFT of a compact boson with a certain radius. Recently it was recognized that a dependence on the 2d spin…

We study 5d fermionic CS theory with a fermionic 2-form gauge potential. This theory can be obtained from 5d MSYM theory by performing the maximal topological twist. We put the theory on a five-manifold and compute the partition function.…

We construct a new class of topological surface defects in Chern-Simons theory with non-compact, non-Abelian gauge groups. These defects are characterized by isotropic subalgebras defined by solutions of the modified classical Yang-Baxter…

In this paper, we calculate the topological free energy for a number of ${\mathcal N} \geq 2$ Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons-matter theories at large $N$ and fixed Chern-Simons levels. The topological free energy is defined as the logarithm of the…