Mean-field theory for quenched reduced large-N gauge model

The reduced model à la Eguchi and Kawai, its quenched version and the Wilson theory in the string variable representation are studied by employing the loop expansion around the mean field. The spontaneous breakdown of the U(1)^d symmetry in the Eguchi-Kawai model is thoroughly investigated. It is shown that the quenched reduced model undergoes the first-order phase transition in excellent agreement with the Monte Carlo data. The quenched reduced model is shown to be equivalent to the standard Wilson theory by comparing with the string variable Wilson theory at any finite order in the loop expansion in the large-N limit.     

Classical equations for non-abelian gauge theories in the large-N limit

The classical equations that dominate the large-N limit of non-abelian gauge theories are derived, and it is shown that they satisfy boundary conditions that follow from the quantization of time-independent gauge transformations.     

Loop space Hamiltonians and numerical methods for large-N gauge theories

We consider large-N gauge theories in the hamiltonian, collective field approach. We derive an alternative collective representation which leads to significant reduction when translation invariance is invoked. It allows for a simplified computer simulation of loop rearrangements and the development of numerical techniques in the hamiltonian, loop space formalism. We proceed to give numerical evidence for validity of our representation and outline a general numerical approach for solving large-N QCD in terms of gauge-invariant Wilson loop variables.     

A strong-coupling expansion for fermion field theories and the large-N limit of the gross-neveu model

An expansion in the fermion propagator is formulated for the N-species Gross-Neveu model in the large-N limit. Different regularisation schemes may be adopted and we compare two. We find that a continuum momentum cut-off is easiest to work with and automatically avoids spurious fermionic states which afflict a naive lattice formulation. Chiral symmetry is broken at zeroth order and the resulting expansion is inverse powers of g²N simplifies considerably for large N. In this limit the strong-coupling expansion may be summed to all orders. Extrapolation techniques, like Padé approximants, are not needed. Using a momentum cut-off we recover all the exact results previously derived by summing weak-coupling expansions.     

A path-dependent hamiltonian in the large-N limit

A path-dependent representation for the effective hamiltonian in the large-N limit of a gauge theory is given. It explicitly satisfies all of the field theoretical requirements except for the equations of motion. The latter can be used to derive a consistency condition for the Wilson amplitudes.     

Spontaneous supersymmetry breaking by large-N matrices

Motivated by supersymmetry breaking in matrix model formulations of superstrings, we present some concrete models, in which the supersymmetry is preserved for any finite N, but gets broken at infinite N, where N is the rank of matrix variables. The models are defined as supersymmetric field theories coupled to some matrix models, and in the induced action obtained after integrating out the matrices, supersymmetry is spontaneously broken only when N is infinity. In our models, the large value of N gives a natural explanation for the origin of small parameters appearing in the field theories which trigger the supersymmetry breaking.     

Hot twists for the single-point model of large-N QCD

We construct two types of twists for the SU(N→∞) twisted-Eguchi-Kawai model, which mimic a periodic boundary condition in the temporal direction only and over an arbitrary extent N₀. In this way we introduce finite temperature (T=N₀^?1 in lattice units) in the single-point model. In weak coupling one gets the correct planar expansion.     

The loop average for a baryon in the large-N limit

The Schwinger-Dyson equation for the Wilson loop is derived for a baryon. The obtained equation is shown to yield the planar diagrams in the large-N limit.     

The large-N phase transition in the U(N) chiral models

We prove the existence of a large-N phase transition in the d = 2 chiral model and calculate via strong-coupling methods the phase-transition point. The critical coupling constant is 0.324. We also treat the chiral model chains (equivalent to the gauge model on polyhedrons) and our approximate calculations come very close to the exact results for the solvable cases.     

Numerical solution of lattice Schwinger-Dyson equations in the large-N limit

In this article, I establish the general leading large-N form of the Fokker-Planck operator for lattice gauge theories. In this formalism, the lattice Schwinger-Dyson equations appear naturally as the statement of minimization of the effective-Fokker-Planck potential. A numerical procedure is proposed that consists in minimizing a suitably truncated piece of this potential, together with a constraint. For a simple model, I show that this leads to much more accurate results than to attempt to naively solve a set of truncated Schwinger-Dyson equations, which, as I point out, do not have a standard weak coupling expansion.     

A path-functional field theory of lattice gauge models and the large-N limit

We transform lattice gauge models to a theory of functional fields defined on a set of closed paths. Some relevant properties of the formalism are discussed in detail, with emphasis on symmetry and topological structure. We then investigate the large-N limit of the U(N) lattice gauge model in arbitrary dimensions using this formalism. Assuming the existence of the limit, we show, to arbitrary order of the strong coupling expansion parameter (g²N)^?, which is kept fixed, that for the leading contribution in the limit: (i) the flow of indices in color space can be represented by planar diagrams; (ii) when the diagrams are immersed in space-time they are random surfaces without handles; (iii) there are interactions of the surfaces which can be depicted as the formation of multisheet bubblesw in the surfaces. This formalism also makes it possible to set up a gauge-invariant mean-field approximation.     

The large-N phase transition in the U(N) lattice gauge theory

We present an outline for a proof (the precise details of which will be presented in a follow-up paper) of a large-N phase transition in dimensions greater than two. The critical couplings are calculated in d=3 and d=4 and are found to be β=0.44 and β=0.40, respectively.     

The large-N deconfinement phase transition in a partially reduced Eguchi-Kawal model

We construct generalized twisted Eguchi-Kawai models which for large-N reduce space-time to a lattice of arbitrary size. Large-N lattice gauge theory at finite temperature is investigated in a model on a lattice with L₀ time slices and two lattice points in very time slice. We observe the large-N deconfinement phase transition in the weak coupling region. Assuming asymptotic scaling we find a transition temperature T_c = (101±4)Λ_L.     

Large N expansion for Yukawa-type theories

4 dimensional Yukawa-type theories with an internal SU(N) symmetry group are studied in the large N limit by means of path integral techniques. For a simplified model where the bosonic field transforms as a singket under SU(N), we explicitly solve the gap equation and shiw that the symmetry is spontaneously broken.     

On the structure of the QCD vacuum in the large-N limit

We present an approximate QCD vacuum for SU(N → ∞). It is a generalization of the ferromagnetic vacuum first obtained by Savvidy for SU(2) and generalized by one of us to SU(3) and SU(4). Problems occuring for N ? 5 are handled in the large-Nlimit by a contnious formalism, and the vacuum obtained is characterized by N ? 1 constant, commuting, color magnetic fields with an isotropic distribution of spatial directions. The energy density of this vacuum is lower than of the perturbative vacuum by a number proportional to N², as expected from general large-N arguments. Like the Savvidy vacuum the large-N vacuum may decay into a variant of the domained Copenhagen vacuum. We give a lower limit on the domain size.     

Spontaneous supersymmetry breaking in large-N matrix models with slowly varying potential

We construct a class of matrix models, where supersymmetry (SUSY) is spontaneously broken at the matrix size N infinite. The models are obtained by dimensional reduction of matrix-valued SUSY quantum mechanics. The potential of the models is slowly varying, and the large-N limit is taken with the slowly varying limit.     

QCD2 and the classical correspondence in the large-N limit

It is shown that the large-N limit of quantum chromodynamics in twodimensions is determined by classical equations with boundary conditions. The nonperturbative quantum spectrum of mesonic bound states is obtained from a classical equation with a simple N-dependent boundary condition on the local charge density. The simplicity of the classical correspondence is shown to be directly tied to the simplicity of the space of gauge invariant operators of the theory. Implications for other large-N models are discussed.