Related papers: Study of Wilson loop functionals in 2D Yang-Mills …
This Ph.D. thesis reaches two main results. The first one is represented by a detailed study, in Feynman gauge, of the perturbative ${\cal O}(g^4)$ contribution to a space-time Wilson loop, with respect to its (expected) Abelian-like time…
Quantum Yang-Mills theory and the Wilson loop can be rewritten identically in terms of local gauge-invariant variables being directly related to the metric of the dual space. In this formulation, one reveals a hidden high local symmetry of…
We write down the Yang-Mills partition function and the average Wilson loop in terms of local gauge-invariant variables being the six components of the metric tensor of dual space. The Wilson loop becomes the trace of the parallel…
We exhibit the gauge-group independence (``universality'') of all normalized non-intersecting Wilson loop expectation values in the large N limit of two-dimensional Yang-Mills theory. This universality is most easily understood via the…
We calculate various Wilson loop averages in a pure $SU(N)$-gauge theory on a two-dimensional sphere, in the large $N$ limit. The results can be expressed through the density of rows in the most probable Young tableau. They are valid in…
We present an analytical continuum calculation, starting from first principles, of the vacuum wavefunction and string tension for pure Yang-Mills theories in $(2+1)$ dimensions, extending our previous analysis using gauge-invariant matrix…
I review results recently obtained within the Hamiltonian approach to Yang-Mills theory in Coulomb gauge. In particular, I will present results for the ghost and gluon propagators and compare these with recent lattice data. Furthermore, I…
We analyze quantum Yang-Mills theory on $\mathbb{R}^2$ using a novel discretization method based on an algebraic analogue of stochastic calculus. Such an analogue involves working with "Gaussian" free fields whose covariance matrix is…
The Yang-Mills functional integral is studied in an axial variant of 't Hooft's maximal Abelian gauge. In this gauge Gau\ss ' law can be completely resolved resulting in a description in terms of unconstrained variables. Compared to…
We consider conformal N=2 super Yang-Mills theories with gauge group SU(N) and Nf=2N fundamental hypermultiplets in presence of a circular 1/2-BPS Wilson loop. It is natural to conjecture that the matrix model which describes the…
The stochastic vacuum model description of a heavy meson is discussed in the context of a gauge invariant approach where Wilson loop expectation values appear naturally in the O($v^2$) spin-orbit Hamiltonian. These expectation values have…
We compute the expectation value of the circular Wilson loop in N=2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with N_f=2N hypermultiplets. Our results indicate that the string tension in the dual string theory scales as the logarithm of the 't Hooft…
The theory of Wilson loops for gauge theories with unitary gauge groups is formulated in the language of symmetric functions. The main objects in this theory are two generating functions, which are related to each other by the involution…
It is proposed an integral formulation of classical Yang-Mills equations in the presence of sources, based on concepts in loop spaces and on a generalization of the non-abelian Stokes theorem for two-form connections. The formulation leads…
We compute expectation values of Wilson loops in q-deformed 2d Yang-Mills on a Riemann surface and show that they give invariants of knots in 3-manifolds which are circle bundles over the Riemann surface. The areas of the loops play an…
Within the framework of a manifestly gauge invariant exact renormalization group for SU(N) Yang-Mills, we derive a simple expression for the expectation value of an arbitrary gauge invariant operator. We illustrate the use of this formula…
By using the gauge/gravity duality and the Maldacena prescription we compute the expectation values of the Wilson loops in noncommutative Yang-Mills (NCYM) theory in (3+1) dimensions. We consider both the time-like and the light-like Wilson…
The uniquess of the effective actions describing 4D SU(2) and SU(3) continuum, infinite-volume Yang-Mills thermodynamics in their deconfining and preconfining phases is made explicit. Subsequently, the spatial string tension is computed in…
We test the unified-gauge formalism by computing a Wilson loop in Yang-Mills theory to one-loop order. The unified-gauge formalism is characterized by the abritrary, but fixed, four-vector $N_\mu$, which collectively represents the…
Using the well established machinery of Wilson loop calculations we investigate the multiple vacua of two dimensional Yang-Mills theories with infinitely massive adjoint matter. In particular, via group theoretical techniques we calculate…