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Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the UniverseWPI

Math.-String seminar

Date: November 27, 2008, 15:30 -
Place: Seminar Room at IPMU Prefab. B, Kashiwa Campus of the University of Tokyo
Speaker: Seiji Terashima (YITP)
Title: Toward a Proof of Montonen-Olive Duality via Multiple M2-branes [PDF]
Abstract: We derive 4-dimensional N=4 U(N) supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory from a 3-dimensional Chern-Simons-matter theory with product gauge group (U(N))^{2n}. The latter describes M2-branes probing an orbifold where a torus emerges in a scaling limit. Starting from one single Chern-Simons-matter theory, we find infinitely many equivalent 4-dimensional theories differing up to SL(2,Z) redefinition of the gauge coupling tau (= theta/2pi + 4pi i/g2). This would provide a proof of the Montonen-Olive duality. However, because our tau is not generic, the S-transformation (tau -> -tau^{-1}) can be thought of as a parity transformation in 4 dimensions.