The complete one-loop dilatation operator of planar real beta-deformed N=4 SYM theory

We determine the missing finite-size corrections to the asymptotic one-loop dilatation operator of the real $\beta$-deformed $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM theory for the gauge groups $U(N)$ and $SU(N)$ in the 't Hooft limit. In the $SU(N)$ case, the absence of the $U(1)$ field components leads to a new kind of finite-size effect, which we call prewrapping. We classify which states are potentially affected by prewrapping at generic loop orders and comment on the necessity to include it into the integrability-based description. As a further result, we identify classes of $n$-point correlation functions which at all loop orders in the planar theory are given by the values of their undeformed counterparts. Finally, we determine the superconformal multiplet structure and one-loop anomalous dimensions of all single-trace states with classical scaling dimension $\Delta_0 \leq 4.5$.Comment: Latex, feynmp, pstricks, 37 pages, 6 tables, v2: formulations improved, references added, typos corrected, v3: typos corrected, matches published versio

Quantum Symmetries and Marginal Deformations

We study the symmetries of the N=1 exactly marginal deformations of N=4 Super Yang-Mills theory. For generic values of the parameters, these deformations are known to break the SU(3) part of the R-symmetry group down to a discrete subgroup. However, a closer look from the perspective of quantum groups reveals that the Lagrangian is in fact invariant under a certain Hopf algebra which is a non-standard quantum deformation of the algebra of functions on SU(3). Our discussion is motivated by the desire to better understand why these theories have significant differences from N=4 SYM regarding the planar integrability (or rather lack thereof) of the spin chains encoding their spectrum. However, our construction works at the level of the classical Lagrangian, without relying on the language of spin chains. Our approach might eventually provide a better understanding of the finiteness properties of these theories as well as help in the construction of their AdS/CFT duals.Comment: 1+40 pages. v2: minor clarifications and references added. v3: Added an appendix, fixed minor typo

Amplitudes, Form Factors and the Dilatation Operator in N=4\mathcal{N}=4 SYM Theory

We study the form factor of a generic gauge-invariant local composite operator in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM theory. At tree level and for a minimal number of external on-shell super fields, we find that the form factor precisely yields the spin-chain picture of integrability in the language of scattering amplitudes. Moreover, we compute the cut-constructible part of the one-loop correction to this minimal form factor via generalised unitarity. From its UV divergence, we obtain the complete one-loop dilatation operator of $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM theory. Thus, we provide a field-theoretic derivation of a relation between the one-loop dilatation operator and the four-point tree-level amplitude which was observed earlier. We also comment on the implications of our findings in the context of integrability.Comment: 39 pages, several figures, feynmp; v2: references added, typos corrected; v3: references added, typos corrected, one explanation improved, matches published versio

Yangians in Deformed Super Yang-Mills Theories

We discuss the integrability structure of deformed, four-dimensional N=4 super Yang-Mills theories using Yangians. We employ a recent procedure by Beisert and Roiban that generalizes the beta deformation of Lunin and Maldacena to produce N=1 superconformal gauge theories, which have the superalgebra SU(2,2|1)xU(1)xU(1). The deformed theories, including those with the more general twist, were shown to have retained their integrable structure. Here we examine the Yangian algebra of these deformed theories. In a five field subsector, we compute the two cases of SU(2)xU(1)xU(1)xU(1) and SU(2|1)xU(1)xU(1) as residual symmetries of SU(2,2|1)xU(1)xU(1). We compute a twisted coproduct for these theories, and show that only for the residual symmetry do we retain the standard coproduct. The twisted coproduct thus provides a method for symmetry breaking. However, the full Yangian structure of SU(2|3) is manifest in our subsector, albeit with twisted coproducts, and provides for the integrability of the theory.Comment: 17 page

Four-loop anomalous dimensions in Leigh-Strassler deformations

We determine the scalar part of the four-loop chiral dilatation operator for Leigh-Strassler deformations of N=4 super Yang-Mills. This is sufficient to find the four-loop anomalous dimensions for operators in closed scalar subsectors. This includes the SU(2) subsector of the (complex) beta-deformation, where we explicitly compute the anomalous dimension for operators with a single impurity. It also includes the "3-string null" operators of the cubic Leigh-Strassler deformation. Our four-loop results show that the rational part of the anomalous dimension is consistent with a conjecture made in arXiv:1108.1583 based on the three-loop result of arXiv:1008.3351 and the N=4 magnon dispersion relation. Here we find additional zeta(3) terms.Comment: Latex, feynmp, 21 page

Long-Range GL(n) Integrable Spin Chains and Plane-Wave Matrix Theory

Quantum spin chains arise naturally from perturbative large-N field theories and matrix models. The Hamiltonian of such a model is a long-range deformation of nearest-neighbor type interactions. Here, we study the most general long-range integrable spin chain with spins transforming in the fundamental representation of gl(n). We derive the Hamiltonian and the corresponding asymptotic Bethe ansatz at the leading four perturbative orders with several free parameters. Furthermore, we propose Bethe equations for all orders and identify the moduli of the integrable system. We finally apply our results to plane-wave matrix theory and show that the Hamiltonian in a closed sector is not of this form and therefore not integrable beyond the first perturbative order. This also implies that the complete model is not integrable.Comment: 22 pages, v2: reference adde

Gauge-string duality for superconformal deformations of N=4 Super Yang-Mills theory

We analyze in detail the relation between an exactly marginal deformation of N=4 SYM - the Leigh-Strassler or ``beta-deformation'' - and its string theory dual (recently constructed in hep-th/0502086) by comparing energies of semiclassical strings to anomalous dimensions of gauge-theory operators in the two-scalar sector. We stress the existence of integrable structures on the two sides of the duality. In particular, we argue that the integrability of strings in AdS_5 x S^5 implies the integrability of the deformed world sheet theory with real deformation parameter. We compare the fast string limit of the worldsheet action in the sector with two angular momenta with the continuum limit of the coherent state action of an anisotropic XXZ spin chain describing the one-loop anomalous dimensions of the corresponding operators and find a remarkable agreement for all values of the deformation parameter. We discuss some of the properties of the Bethe Ansatz for this spin chain, solve the Bethe equations for small number of excitations and comment on higher loop properties of the dilatation operator. With the goal of going beyond the leading order in the 't Hooft expansion we derive the analog of the Bethe equations on the string-theory side, and show that they coincide with the thermodynamic limit of the Bethe equations for the spin chain. We also compute the 1/J corrections to the anomalous dimensions of operators with large R-charge (corresponding to strings with angular momentum J) and match them to the 1-loop corrections to the fast string energies. Our results suggest that the impressive agreement between the gauge theory and semiclassical strings in AdS_5 x S^5 is part of a larger picture underlying the gauge/gravity duality.Comment: 50 pages, Latex; v2:typos corrected, references added, clarifications in sec 8 and Appendix A, a discussion of a rational solution added in section 4.2; v3: minor corrections to coefficients in eq. 2.5, 5.2 and appendix A; v4: minor misprints correcte

Gauge-string duality for (non)supersymmetric deformations of N=4 Super Yang-Mills theory

We consider a non-supersymmetric example of the AdS/CFT duality which generalizes the supersymmetric exactly marginal deformation constructed in hep-th/0502086. The string theory background we use was found in hep-th/0503201 from the AdS_5 x S5 by a combination of T-dualities and shifts of angular coordinates. It depends on three real parameters gamma_i which determine the shape of the deformed 5-sphere. The dual gauge theory has the same field content as N=4 SYM theory, but with scalar and Yukawa interactions ``deformed'' by gamma_i-dependent phases. The special case of equal deformation parameters gamma_i=gamma corresponds to the N=1 supersymmetric deformation. We compare the energies of semiclassical strings with three large angular momenta to the 1-loop anomalous dimensions of the corresponding gauge-theory scalar operators and find that they match as it was the case in the SU(3) sector of the standard AdS/CFT duality. In the supersymmetric case of equal gamma_i this extends the result of our previous work (hep-th/0503192) from the 2-spin to the 3-spin sector. This extension turns out to be quite nontrivial. To match the corresponding low-energy effective ``Landau-Lifshitz'' actions on the string theory and the gauge theory sides one is to make a special choice of the spin chain Hamiltonian representing the 1-loop gauge theory dilatation operator. This choice is adapted to low-energy approximation, i.e. it allows one to capture the right vacuum states and the macroscopic spin wave sector of states of the spin chain in the continuum coherent state effective action.Comment: 43 pages, Latex; v2:Discussion of 0-modes improved in section 2, Appendix B expanded to demonstrate agreement between gauge and string theory for 0-mode fluctuations; references added; v3: Modification to the discussion on the U(1) factor in sec.4.