Related papers: A Strong Coupling Test of S-Duality
We consider a twisted version of the four-dimensional N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with gauge groups SU(2) and SO(3), and bare masses for two of its chiral multiplets, thereby breaking N=4 down to N=2. Using the wall-crossing…
In these lectures we discuss various aspects of gauge theories with extended $N=2$ and $N=4$ supersymmetry that are at the basis of recently found exact results. These results include the exact calculation of the low energy effective action…
Recent progress towards understanding a strong coupling expansion for various superconformal field theories in four dimensions is described. First, the case of the maximally supersymmetric Yang Mills theory is analyzed, as well as many…
The infrared limit of $D=4,~~N=4$ Yang-Mills theory with compact gauge group $G$ compactified on a two-torus is governed by an effective superconformal field theory. We conjecture that this is a certain orbifold involving the maximal torus…
In these lectures we present a detailed description of various aspects of gauge theories with extended N=2 and N=4 supersymmetry that are at the basis of recently found exact results. These results include the exact calculation of the low…
In this paper we deal with algebro-geometrical problems connected with testing S-duality conjecture for super-symmetric Yang-Mills quantum field theories in four dimensions. We describe all field configurations such that beta function…
This thesis presents a thorough analysis of the links between the N=4 supersymmetric gauge theory in four dimensions and its three topological twisted counterparts. Special emphasis is put in deriving explicit results in terms of the vacuum…
We study the quantization of a holomorphic two-form coupled to a Yang-Mills field on special manifolds in various dimensions, and we show that it yields twisted supersymmetric theories. The construction determines ATQFT's (Almost…
We study the path integral of a twisted $N=2$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory coupled with hypermultiplet having the bare mass. We explicitly compute the topological correlation functions for the $SU(2)$ theory on a compact oriented simply…
Evidence in favor of $SL(2,Z)$ S-duality in $N=4$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories in four dimensions and with general compact, simple gauge groups is presented. (Contribution to the Proceedings of the Strings '95 conference, March 13-18,…
We derive 4-dimensional N=4 U(N) supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory from a 3-dimensional Chern-Simons-matter theory with product gauge group U(N)^{2n}. The latter describes M2-branes probing an orbifold where a torus emerges in a scaling…
Putting a twisted version of N=4 super Yang-Mills on a curved four-dimensional manifold generically breaks all conformal supersymmetries. In the special case where the four-manifold is a cone, we show that exactly two conformal supercharges…
We propose a relation between the operator of S-duality (of N=4 super Yang-Mills theory in 3+1D) and a topological theory in one dimension lower. We construct the topological theory by compactifying N=4 super Yang-Mills on a circle with an…
U(1) gauge theory on ${\bf R}^4$ is known to possess an electric-magnetic duality symmetry that inverts the coupling constant and extends to an action of $SL(2,{\bf Z})$. In this paper, the duality is studied on a general four-manifold and…
We study strong-weak coupling duality (S-duality) in N=4 supersymmetric non-Abelian Yang-Mills theories. These theories arise naturally as the low-energy limit of four-dimensional toroidal compactifications of the heterotic string. Firstly,…
The N=2* theory (mass deformation of N=4 Super-Yang-Mills) undergoes an infinite number of quantum phase transitions in the large-N limit. The phase structure and critical behavior can be analyzed with the help of supersymmetric…
We show that a necessary condition, for the partition function of four-dimensional Yang-Mills theory to satisfy a S-duality property, is that certain functional determinants, generated by the dual change of variables, cancel each other.…
We review Wilson loops in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with emphasis on the exact results. The implications are discussed in the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence.
We study the vacuum structure and dyon spectrum of N=2 supersymmetric gauge theory in four dimensions, with gauge group SU(2). The theory turns out to have remarkably rich and physical properties which can nonetheless be described…
We study N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory on a Kaehler manifold with $b_2^+ \geq 3$. Adding suitable perturbations we show that the partition function of the N=4 theory is the sum of contributions from two branches: (i) instantons, (ii)…