An Exact Prediction of N=4 SUSYM Theory for String Theory

We propose that the expectation value of a circular BPS-Wilson loop in N=4 SUSYM can be calculated exactly, to all orders in a 1/N expansion and to all orders in g^2 N. Using the AdS/CFT duality, this result yields a prediction of the value of the string amplitude with a circular boundary to all orders in alpha' and to all orders in g_s. We then compare this result with string theory. We find that the gauge theory calculation, for large g^2 N and to all orders in the 1/N^2 expansion does agree with the leading string theory calculation, to all orders in g_s and to lowest order in alpha'. We also find a relation between the expectation value of any closed smooth Wilson loop and the loop related to it by an inversion that takes a point along the loop to infinity, and compare this result, again successfully, with string theory.Comment: LaTeX, 22 pages, 3 figures. Argument corrected and two new sections adde

Analytic Solution of Bremsstrahlung TBA

We consider the quark--anti-quark potential on the three sphere or the generalized cusp anomalous dimension in planar N=4 SYM. We concentrate on the vacuum potential in the near BPS limit with $L$ units of R-charge. Equivalently, we study the anomalous dimension of a super-Wilson loop with L local fields inserted at a cusp. The system is described by a recently proposed infinite set of non-linear integral equations of the Thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz (TBA) type. That system of TBA equations is very similar to the one of the spectral problem but simplifies a bit in the near BPS limit. Using techniques based on the Y-system of functional equations we first reduced the infinite system of TBA equations to a Finite set of Nonlinear Integral Equations (FiNLIE). Then we solve the FiNLIE system analytically, obtaining a simple analytic result for the potential! Surprisingly, we find that the system has equivalent descriptions in terms of an effective Baxter equation and in terms of a matrix model. At L=0, our result matches the one obtained before using localization techniques. At all other L's, the result is new. Having a new parameter, L, allows us to take the large L classical limit. We use the matrix model description to solve the classical limit and match the result with a string theory computation. Moreover, we find that the classical string algebraic curve matches the algebraic curve arising from the matrix model.Comment: 50 pages, 5 figures. v2: references added, JHEP versio

Open string fluctuations in AdS_5xS^5 and operators with large R-charge

A semiclassical string description is given for correlators of Wilson loops with local operators in N=4 SYM theory in the regime when operators carry parametrically large R-charge. The OPE coefficients of the circular Wilson loop in chiral primary operators are computed to all orders in the alpha' expansion in AdS_5xS^5 string theory. The results agree with field-theory predictions.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures; v2: five misprints correcte

Conformal anomaly of Wilson surface observables - a field theoretical computation

We make an exact field theoretical computation of the conformal anomaly for two-dimensional submanifold observables. By including a scalar field in the definition for the Wilson surface, as appropriate for a spontaneously broken A_1 theory, we get a conformal anomaly which is such that N times it is equal to the anomaly that was computed in hep-th/9901021 in the large N limit and which relied on the AdS-CFT correspondence. We also show how the spherical surface observable can be expressed as a conformal anomaly.Comment: 18 pages, V3: an `i' dropped in the Wilson surface, overall normalization and misprints corrected, V4: overall normalization factor corrected, references adde

Correlators of Wilson loops and local operators from multi-matrix models and strings in AdS

We study correlation functions of Wilson loops and local operators in a subsector of N=4 SYM which preserves two supercharges. Localization arguments allow to map the problem to a calculation in bosonic two-dimensional Yang-Mills theory. In turn, this can be reduced to computing correlators in certain Gaussian multi-matrix models. We focus on the correlation function of a Wilson loop and two local operators, and solve the corresponding three-matrix model exactly in the planar limit. We compare the strong coupling behavior to string theory in AdS_5xS^5, finding precise agreement. We pay particular attention to the case in which the local operators have large R-charge J \sim sqrt{lambda} at strong coupling.Comment: 50 pages, 9 figures. v2: minor changes, references adde

Wilson Loops in Large N Theories

Talk presented at Strings '99 in Potsdam, Germany (July 19 - 24, 1999).Comment: 11 pages; submitted to Proceedings of Strings '9

The generalized cusp in ABJ(M) N = 6 Super Chern-Simons theories

We construct a generalized cusped Wilson loop operator in N = 6 super Chern-Simons-matter theories which is locally invariant under half of the supercharges. It depends on two parameters and interpolates smoothly between the 1/2 BPS line or circle and a pair of antiparallel lines, representing a natural generalization of the quark-antiquark potential in ABJ(M) theories. For particular choices of the parameters we obtain 1/6 BPS configurations that, mapped on S^2 by a conformal transformation, realize a three-dimensional analogue of the wedge DGRT Wilson loop of N = 4. The cusp couples, in addition to the gauge and scalar fields of the theory, also to the fermions in the bifundamental representation of the U(N)xU(M) gauge group and its expectation value is expressed as the holonomy of a suitable superconnection. We discuss the definition of these observables in terms of traces and the role of the boundary conditions of fermions along the loop. We perform a complete two-loop analysis, obtaining an explicit result for the generalized cusp at the second non-trivial order, from which we read off the interaction potential between heavy 1/2 BPS particles in the ABJ(M) model. Our results open the possibility to explore in the three-dimensional case the connection between localization properties and integrability, recently advocated in D = 4.Comment: 53 pages, 10 figures, added references, this is the version appeared on JHE

Conformal and non-conformal hyperloop deformations of the 1/2 BPS circle

We construct new large classes of BPS Wilson hyperloops in three-dimensional N=4 quiver Chern-Simons-matter theory on S3. The main strategy is to start with the 1/2 BPS Wilson loop of this theory, choose any linear combination of the supercharges it preserves, and look for deformations built out of the matter fields that still preserve that supercharge. This is a powerful generalization of a recently developed approach based on deformations of 1/4 and 1/8 BPS bosonic loops, which itself was far more effective at discovering new operators than older methods relying on complicated ansatze. We discover many new moduli spaces of BPS hyperloops preserving varied numbers of supersymmetries and varied subsets of the symmetries of the 1/2 BPS operator. In particular, we find new bosonic operators preserving 2 or 3 supercharges as well as new families of loops that do not share supercharges with any bosonic loops, including subclasses of both 1/8 and 1/4 BPS loops that are conformal

Operator product expansion of higher rank Wilson loops from D-branes and matrix models

In this paper we study correlation functions of circular Wilson loops in higher dimensional representations with chiral primary operators of N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. This is done using the recently established relation between higher rank Wilson loops in gauge theory and D-branes with electric fluxes in supergravity. We verify our results with a matrix model computation, finding perfect agreement in both the symmetric and the antisymmetric case.Comment: 28 pages, latex; v2: minor misprints corrected, references adde

Generalized quark-antiquark potential at weak and strong coupling

We study a two-parameter family of Wilson loop operators in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory which interpolates smoothly between the 1/2 BPS line or circle and a pair of antiparallel lines. These observables capture a natural generalization of the quark-antiquark potential. We calculate these loops on the gauge theory side to second order in perturbation theory and in a semiclassical expansion in string theory to one-loop order. The resulting determinants are given in integral form and can be evaluated numerically for general values of the parameters or analytically in a systematic expansion around the 1/2 BPS configuration. We comment about the feasibility of deriving all-loop results for these Wilson loops.Comment: 43 pages: 15 comprising the main text and 25 for detailed appendice