Mirror Symmetry in Three Dimensional Gauge Theories

We discuss non-trivial fixed points of the renormalization group with dual descriptions in $N=4$ gauge theories in three dimensions. This new duality acts as mirror symmetry, exchanging the Higgs and Coulomb branches of the theories. Quantum effects on the Coulomb branch arise classically on the Higgs branch of the dual theory. We present examples of dual theories whose Higgs/Coulomb branch are the ALE spaces and whose Coulomb/Higgs branches are the moduli space of instantons of the corresponding $ADE$ gauge group. In particular, we show that in three dimensions small $E_8$ instantons in string theory are described by a local quantum field theory.Comment: 13 pages, harvma

A Note on Noncommutative String theory and its low energy limit

The noncommutative string theory is described by embedding open string theory in a constant second rank antisymmetric $B_{\mu\nu}$ field and the noncommutative gauge theory is defined by a deformed $\star$ product. As a check, study of various scattering amplitudes in both noncommutative string and noncommutative gauge theory confirm that in the $\alpha^{'}\to 0$ limit, the noncommutative string theoretic amplitude goes over to the noncommutative gauge theoretic amplitude, and the couplings are related as $g_{YM}=G_0\sqrt{\frac{1}{2\alpha^{'}}}$. Furthermore we show that in this limit there will not be any correction to the gauge theoretic action because of absence of massive modes. We get sin/cos factors in the scattering amplitudes depending on the odd/even number of external photons.Comment: 14 pages including 2 figure

The Vacuum Structure and Spectrum of N=2 Supersymmetric SU(N) Gauge Theory

We present an exact description of the metric on the moduli space of vacua and the spectrum of massive states for four dimensional N=2 supersymmetric SU(n) gauge theories. The moduli space of quantum vacua is identified with the moduli space of a special set of genus n-1 hyperelliptic Riemann surfaces.Comment: 11 pages, Revtex, 2 figures. Reference adde

Varieties of vacua in classical supersymmetric gauge theories

We give a simple description of the classical moduli space of vacua for supersymmetric gauge theories with or without a superpotential. The key ingredient in our analysis is the observation that the lagrangian is invariant under the action of the complexified gauge group \Gc. From this point of view the usual $D$-flatness conditions are an artifact of Wess--Zumino gauge. By using a gauge that preserves \Gc invariance we show that every constant matter field configuration that extremizes the superpotential is \Gc gauge-equivalent (in a sense that we make precise) to a unique classical vacuum. This result is used to prove that in the absence of a superpotential the classical moduli space is the algebraic variety described by the set of all holomorphic gauge-invariant polynomials. When a superpotential is present, we show that the classical moduli space is a variety defined by imposing additional relations on the holomorphic polynomials. Many of these points are already contained in the existing literature. The main contribution of the present work is that we give a careful and self-contained treatment of limit points and singularities.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX (uses revtex.sty

Two Phases of Supersymmetric Gluodynamics

We argue that supersymmetric gluodynamics has two phases with equivalent infrared behavior, one of which is asymptotically free and another one is superstrongly coupled in the ultraviolet domain.Comment: Plain LaTeX, 6 pages, 2 figures in a uuencoded file Final version which appeared in Phys. Rev. Let.75;2085-2087,1995 Corrected references and some Comments with no effect on conclusion

More Comments on String Theory on AdS_3

We clarify a number of issues regarding the worldsheet and spacetime descriptions of string propagation on AdS_3. We construct the vertex operators of spacetime current algebra and spacetime (super) Virasoro generators in the full interacting SL(2) WZW theory and study their Ward identities. We also explain the relation between the analysis in this note and some recent work on this subject.Comment: 42 pages, harvmac; references adde

What do Topologists want from Seiberg--Witten theory? (A review of four-dimensional topology for physicists)

In 1983, Donaldson shocked the topology world by using instantons from physics to prove new theorems about four-dimensional manifolds, and he developed new topological invariants. In 1988, Witten showed how these invariants could be obtained by correlation functions for a twisted N=2 SUSY gauge theory. In 1994, Seiberg and Witten discovered dualities for such theories, and in particular, developed a new way of looking at four-dimensional manifolds that turns out to be easier, and is conjectured to be equivalent to, Donaldson theory. This review describes the development of this mathematical subject, and shows how the physics played a pivotal role in the current understanding of this area of topology.Comment: 51 pages, 10 figures, 8 postscript files. Submitted to International Journal of Modern Physics A, July 2002 Uses Latex 2e with class file ws-ijmpa.cls (included in tar file

Proposal for a Simple Model of Dynamical SUSY Breaking

We discuss supersymmetric $SU(2)$ gauge theory with a single matter field in the $I=3/2$ representation. This theory has a moduli space of exactly degenerate vacua. Classically it is the complex plane with an orbifold singularity at the origin. There seem to be two possible candidates for the quantum theory at the origin. In both the global chiral symmetry is unbroken. The first is interacting quarks and gluons at a non-trivial infrared fixed point -- a non-Abelian Coulomb phase. The second, which we consider more likely, is a confining phase where the singularity is simply smoothed out. If this second, more likely, possibility is realized, supersymmetry will dynamically break when a tree level superpotential is added. This would be the simplest known gauge theory which dynamically breaks supersymmetry.Comment: 6 page

Noncommutativity of the Moving D2-brane Worldvolume

In this paper we study the noncommutativity of a moving membrane with background fields. The open string variables are analyzed. Some scaling limits are studied. The equivalence of the magnetic and electric noncommutativities is investigated. The conditions for equivalence of noncommutativity of the T-dual theory in the rest frame and noncommutativity of the original theory in the moving frame are obtained.Comment: 12 pages, Latex, no figure. The equivalence of noncommutativities and also some scaling limits are adde