Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications

Veronica Pasquarella

Edward Witten

Friday, November 22, 2024 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

A7-201

We investigate the differential geometry of the moduli space of instantons on S^3 x S^1. Extending previous results, we show that a sigma-model with this target space can be expected to possess a large N=4 superconformal symmetry, supporting speculations that this sigma-model may be dual to Type IIB superstring theory on AdS_3 x S^3 x S^3 x S^1. The sigma-model is parametrized by three integers — the rank of the gauge group, the instanton number, and a “level” (the integer coefficient of a topologically nontrivial B-field, analogous to a WZW level). These integers are expected to correspond to two five-brane charges and a one-brane charge. The sigma-model is weakly coupled when the level, conjecturally corresponding to one of the five-brane changes, becomes very large, keeping the other parameters fixed. The central charges of the large N=4 algebra agree, at least semiclassically, with expectations from the duality.

https://www.simis.cn/simis-string-math-seminar-instantons-and-the-large-n4-algebra/