Searching for integrability

The self-dual Yang—Mills equations in four dimensions are integrable, for any gauge group, via the twistor transform. Integrability of the Yang—Mills equations proper in four dimensions with a finite dimensional gauge group cannot reasonably be hoped for. However, longstanding questions about the large N limit of QCD suggest that a new form of integrability might conceivably emerge in the limit of an infinite dimensional gauge group.     

The linear system for self-dual gauge fields in a spacetime of signature 0

The overdetermined linear system for the self-dual Yang—Mills (SDYM) equations is examined in a flat four-dimensional space whose metric has signature 0. There are three different domains for the system, and correspondingly three (essentially) different solutions to the linear system for a given gauge field. If the gauge potential is real analytic, two of the solutions patch together to give a holomorphic function in an annular region of projective twistor space. Conversely, an arbitrary holomorphic GL(n, )-valued function in such a domain can be uniquely factored (on the real lines) to give a solution to SDYM with gauge group U(n). The set of all real analytic u(n)-valued gauge fields can thus be parametrized by the points of a certain double coset space.     

Exact Solutions for Self-Dual SU(2) and SU(3) Yang–Mills Fields

The (constrained) canonical reduction of four-dimensional self-dual SU(2) and SU(3) Yang–Mills theory to two-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger (NS) and Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equations are considered. The Bäcklund transformations (BTs) are implemented to obtain new classes of exact solutions for the reduced two-dimensional NS and KdV models.     

Hyper-Kähler Hierarchies and Their Twistor Theory

A twistor construction of the hierarchy associated with the hyper-K?hler equations on a metric (the anti-self-dual Einstein vacuum equations, ASDVE, in four dimensions) is given. The recursion operator R is constructed and used to build an infinite-dimensional symmetry algebra and in particular higher flows for the hyper-K?hler equations. It is shown that R acts on the twistor data by multiplication with a rational function. The structures are illustrated by the example of the Sparling–Tod (Eguchi–Hansen) solution. An extended space-time ? is constructed whose extra dimensions correspond to higher flows of the hierarchy. It is shown that ? is a moduli space of rational curves with normal bundle ?(n)⊕?(n) in twistor space and is canonically equipped with a Lax distribution for ASDVE hierarchies. The space ? is shown to be foliated by four dimensional hyper-K?hler slices. The Lagrangian, Hamiltonian and bi-Hamiltonian formulations of the ASDVE in the form of the heavenly equations are given. The symplectic form on the moduli space of solutions to heavenly equations is derived, and is shown to be compatible with the recursion operator. Received: 27 January 2000 / Accepted: 20 March 2000     

Introduction to M(atrix) theory and noncommutative geometry

Noncommutative geometry is based on an idea that an associative algebra can be regarded as “an algebra of functions on a noncommutative space”. The major contribution to noncommutative geometry was made by A. Connes, who, in particular, analyzed Yang–Mills theories on noncommutative spaces, using important notions that were introduced in his papers (connection, Chern character, etc). It was found recently that Yang–Mills theories on noncommutative spaces appear naturally in string/M-theory; the notions and results of noncommutative geometry were applied very successfully to the problems of physics.

In this paper we give a mostly self-contained review of some aspects of M(atrix) theory, of Connes’ noncommutative geometry and of applications of noncommutative geometry to M(atrix) theory. The topics include introduction to BFSS and IKKT matrix models, compactifications on noncommutative tori, a review of basic notions of noncommutative geometry with a detailed discussion of noncommutative tori, Morita equivalence and -duality, an elementary discussion of noncommutative orbifolds, noncommutative solitons and instantons. The review is primarily intended for physicists who would like to learn some basic techniques of noncommutative geometry and how they can be applied in string theory and to mathematicians who would like to learn about some new problems arising in theoretical physics.

The second part of the review (Sections 10–12) devoted to solitons and instantons on noncommutative Euclidean space is almost independent of the first part.     

Boundary value problems for Yang—Mills fields

This paper investigates boundary value problems for Hermitian Yang—Mills equations over complex manifolds. The main result is the unique solubility of the Dirichlet problem for the Hermitian Yang—Mills equation. Connections with a number of topics are found, including the link with loop groups.     

Quantum Instantons with Classical Moduli Spaces

 We introduce a quantum Minkowski space-time based on the quantum group SU(2) _q extended by a degree operator and formulate a quantum version of the anti-self-dual Yang-Mills equation. We construct solutions of the quantum equations using the classical ADHM linear data, and conjecture that, up to gauge transformations, our construction yields all the solutions. We also find a deformation of Penrose's twistor diagram, giving a correspondence between the quantum Minkowski space-time and the classical projective space ℙ³. Received: 10 May 2002 / Accepted: 10 January 2003 Published online: 5 May 2003 Communicated by L. Takhtajan     

Super-Matrix KdV and Super-Generalized NS Equations from Self-Dual Yang–Mills Systems with Supergauge Groups

Super-matrix KdV and super-generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equations are shown to arise from a symmetry reduction of ordinary self-dual Yang–Mills equations with supergauge groups.     

On the Dispersionless Dym Hierarchy: Dressing Formulation and Twistor Construction

We discuss the dressing formulation and twistor construction for the dispersionless Dym (dDym) hierarchy. In particular, we investigate one-variable and two-variables reductions of the dDym hierarchy to illustrate the formalism. We derive the associated string equations of the reduced dDym hierarchies and obtain their hodograph solutions.     

Twistor Geometry of a Pair of Second Order ODEs

We discuss the twistor correspondence between path geometries in three dimensions with vanishing Wilczynski invariants and anti-self-dual conformal structures of signature (2, 2). We show how to reconstruct a system of ODEs with vanishing invariants for a given conformal structure, highlighting the Ricci-flat case in particular. Using this framework, we give a new derivation of the Wilczynski invariants for a system of ODEs whose solution space is endowed with a conformal structure. We explain how to reconstruct the conformal structure directly from the integral curves, and present new examples of systems of ODEs with point symmetry algebra of dimension four and greater which give rise to anti–self–dual structures with conformal symmetry algebra of the same dimension. Some of these examples are (2, 2) analogues of plane wave space–times in General Relativity. Finally we discuss a variational principle for twistor curves arising from the Finsler structures with scalar flag curvature.     

Integrability aspects of a Schwarzian PDE

We present a reduction of the anti-self-dual Yang–Mills (ASDYM) equations to a system of partial differential equations (PDEs) introduced recently by Nijhoff et al. (Phys. Lett. A 267 (2000) 147). An auto-Bäcklund transformation of the reduced system is also presented. The system under consideration is related to a fourth-order nonlinear PDE of the Schwarzian type. The symmetry group of the latter equation is calculated and similarity reductions to the Schwarzian equation and the full Painlevé III, V and VI are presented.     

On the density of the Ward ansätze in the space of anti-self-dual Yang Mills solutions

A general patching matrixP for the twistor construction of antiself-dual Yang-Mills fields is approximated by a terminating Laurent series. The approximate patching matrixP(^m) is triangularized (so that it becomes one of the Ward ansätze) and the associated Riemann-Hilbert problem is solved, thereby generating an anti-self-dual solution of the Yang-Mills equations. The approximate patching matrices and the associated (exact) anti-self-dual Yang-Mills solutions are then shown to converge onP and its corresponding solution so that the Ward ansätze forms a dense subset in the solution space in the Weierstrass sense.     

Lie Point Symmetries and Exact Solutions of Couple KdV Equations

The simple Lie point symmetry reduction procedure is used to obtain infinitely many symmetries to a new integrable system of coupled KdV equations. Using some symmetry subalgebra of the equations, five types of the significant similarity reductions are obtained by virtue of the Lie group approach, and obtain abundant solutions of the coupled KdV equations, such as the solitary wave solution, exponential solution, rational solution, polynomial solution, etc.     

On the connection between harmonic maps and the self-dual Yang—Mills and the sine-Gordon equations

This is an algebraic paper which demonstrates some algebraic connections between the Yang—Mills and the sine-Gordon equation.     

Moduli Space of IIB Superstring and SUYM in AdS5 × S5

This paper consists of two parts. In part I, we interpret the hidden symmetry of the moduli space of IIB superstring on AdS₅×S⁵ in terms of the chiral embedding in AdS₅, which turns out to be the CP³ conformal affine Toda model. We review how the position μ of poles in the Riemann-Hilbert formulation of dressing transformation and the value of loop parameter μ in the vertex operator of affine algebra determine the moduli space of the soliton solutions, which describes the moduli space of the Green-Schwarz superstring. We show also how this affine SU(4) symmetry affinizes the conformal symmetry in the twistor space, and how a soliton string corresponds to a Robinson congruence with twist and dilation spin coefficients μ of twistor. In part II, by extending the dressing symmetric action of IIB string in AdS₅×S⁵ to the D₃ brane, we find a gauged WZW action of Higgs Yang-Mills field including the 2-cocycle of axially anomaly. The left and right twistor structures of left and right α-planes glue into an ambitwistor. The symmetry group of Nahm equations is centrally extended to an affine group, thus we explain why the spectral curve is given by affine Toda.     

Multiple Instantons Representing Higher-Order Chern–Pontryagin Classes,II

This paper is a continuation of an earlier study on the generalized Yang–Mills instantons over 4m-dimensional spheres. We will first present a discussion on the generalized Yang–Mills equations, the higher-order Chern–Pontryagin classes, c _2m , and the self-dual or anti-self-dual equations. We will then obtain some sharp asymptotic estimates for the self-dual or anti-self-dual equations within the Witten–Tchrakian framework which relates the integer value of c _2m to the number of vortices of the solution to a reduced 2-dimensional Abelian Higgs system over the Poincaré half-plane. We will prove that, indeed, for any integer N, there exists a 2|N|-parameter family of the generalized self-dual or anti-self-dual instantons realizing the topology c _2m =N. Furthermore, for the purpose of accommodating more general solutions, we establish a removable singularity theorem which enables us to extend the solutions obtained on a 4m-dimensional Euclidean space with an integral bound to the Hölder continuous solutions on a 4m-dimensional sphere.Research supported in part by PSC-CUNY Research Award 32Research supported in part by NSF under grants DMS–9972300 and DMS–9729992 through IAS     

Absence of gravitational contributions to the running Yang–Mills coupling

The question of a modification of the running gauge coupling of (non-)Abelian gauge theories by an incorporation of the quantum gravity contribution has recently attracted considerable interest. In this Letter we perform an involved diagrammatical calculation in the full Einstein–Yang–Mills system both in cut-off and dimensional regularization at one-loop order. It is found that all gravitational quadratic divergencies cancel in cut-off regularization and are trivially absent in dimensional regularization so that there is no alteration to asymptotic freedom at high energies. This settles the previously open question of a potential regularization scheme dependence of the one-loop β function traditionally computed in the background field approach. Furthermore we show that the remaining logarithmic divergencies give rise to an extended effective Einstein–Yang–Mills Lagrangian with a counterterm of dimension six.     

Gravity, Twistors and the MHV Formalism

We give a self-contained proof of the formula for the MHV amplitudes for gravity conjectured by Berends, Giele & Kuijf and use the associated twistor generating function to define a twistor action for the MHV diagram approach to gravity. Starting from a background field calculation on a spacetime with anti-self-dual curvature, we obtain a simple spacetime formula for the scattering of a single, positive helicity linearized graviton into one of negative helicity. Re-expressing our integral in terms of twistor data allows us to consider a spacetime that is asymptotic to a superposition of plane waves. Expanding these out perturbatively yields the gravitational MHV amplitudes of Berends, Giele & Kuijf. We go on to take the twistor generating function off-shell at the perturbative level. Combining this with a twistor action for the anti-self-dual background, the generating function provides the MHV vertices for the MHV diagram approach to perturbative gravity. We finish by extending these results to supergravity, in particular N = 4{\mathcal {N} = 4} and N = 8{\mathcal {N} = 8} .     

A Note on the Third Family of N=2 Supersymmetric KdV Hierarchies

Abstract

We propose a hamiltonian formulation of the N = 2 supersymmetric KP type hierarchy recently studied by Krivonos and Sorin. We obtain a quadratic hamiltonian structure which allows for several reductions of the KP type hierarchy. In particular, the third family of N = 2 KdV hierarchies is recovered. We also give an easy construction of Wronskian solutions of the KP and KdV type equations.