BPS Operators and Brane Geometries.

PhDIn this thesis we explore the finite N spectrum of BPS operators in four-dimensional supersymmetric conformal field theories (CFT), which have dual AdS gravitational descriptions. In the first part we analyze the spectrum of chiral operators in the free limit of quiver gauge theories. We find explicit counting formulas at finite N for arbitrary quivers, construct an orthogonal basis in the free inner product, and derive the chiral ring structure constants. In order to deal with arbitrarily complicated quivers, we develop convenient diagrammatic techniques: the results are expressed by associating Young diagrams and Littlewood-Richardson coefficients to modifications of the original quiver. We develop the notion of a "quiver character", which is a generalization of the symmetric group character, obeying analogous orthogonality properties. In the second part we analyze how the BPS spectrum changes at weak coupling, focusing on the N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills. We find a formal expression for the complete set of eighth-BPS operators at finite N, and use it to derive corrections to a near-BPS operator. In the third part of this thesis we move on to the strong coupling regime, where the dual gravitational description applies. The BPS spectrum on the gravity side includes D3-branes wrapping arbitrary holomorphic surfaces, a generalization of the spherical giant gravitons. Quantizing this moduli space gives a Hilbert space, which, via duality and nonrenormalization theorems, should map to the space of BPS operators derived in the weak coupling regime. We apply techniques from fuzzy geometry to study this correspondence between D3-brane geometries, quantum states, and BPS operators in field theoryQueen Mary, University of London studentshi

Invariants of Toric Seiberg Duality

Three-branes at a given toric Calabi-Yau singularity lead to different phases of the conformal field theory related by toric (Seiberg) duality. Using the dimer model/brane tiling description in terms of bipartite graphs on a torus, we find a new invariant under Seiberg duality, namely the Klein j-invariant of the complex structure parameter in the distinguished isoradial embedding of the dimer, determined by the physical R-charges. Additional number theoretic invariants are described in terms of the algebraic number field of the R-charges. We also give a new compact description of the a-maximization procedure by introducing a generalized incidence matrix.Comment: 43 pages, 8 figures, LaTe

Beyond the Planar Limit in ABJM

In this article we consider gauge theories with a U(N)X U(N) gauge group. We provide, for the first time, a complete set of operators built from scalar fields that are in the bi fundamental of the two groups. Our operators diagonalize the two point function of the free field theory at all orders in 1/N. We then use this basis to investigate non-planar anomalous dimensions in the ABJM theory. We show that the dilatation operator reduces to a set of decoupled harmonic oscillators, signaling integrability in a nonplanar large N limit.Comment: v2: minor revisison

A double coset ansatz for integrability in AdS/CFT

We give a proof that the expected counting of strings attached to giant graviton branes in AdS_5 x S^5, as constrained by the Gauss Law, matches the dimension spanned by the expected dual operators in the gauge theory. The counting of string-brane configurations is formulated as a graph counting problem, which can be expressed as the number of points on a double coset involving permutation groups. Fourier transformation on the double coset suggests an ansatz for the diagonalization of the one-loop dilatation operator in this sector of strings attached to giant graviton branes. The ansatz agrees with and extends recent results which have found the dynamics of open string excitations of giants to be given by harmonic oscillators. We prove that it provides the conjectured diagonalization leading to harmonic oscillators.Comment: 33 pages, 3 figures; v2: references adde

On the Classification of Brane Tilings

We present a computationally efficient algorithm that can be used to generate all possible brane tilings. Brane tilings represent the largest class of superconformal theories with known AdS duals in 3+1 and also 2+1 dimensions and have proved useful for describing the physics of both D3 branes and also M2 branes probing Calabi-Yau singularities. This algorithm has been implemented and is used to generate all possible brane tilings with at most 6 superpotential terms, including consistent and inconsistent brane tilings. The collection of inconsistent tilings found in this work form the most comprehensive study of such objects to date.Comment: 33 pages, 12 figures, 15 table

Quivers, words and fundamentals

40 pages + Appendices, 9 figures40 pages + Appendices, 9 figure