This is the introductory chapter of a review collection on integrability in the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence. In the collection we present an overview of the achievements and the status of this subject as of the year 2010.

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Review of AdS/CFT Integrability: An Overview

The high-energy asymptotic form of the scattering amplitude of colorless particles in quantum chromodynamics is obtained in the leading logarithmic approximation. It is argued that such a calculation is justified for the amplitudes of scattering in which charmed quarks participate. The cross section for formation of two pairs of charmed quarks in ..gamma gamma.. collisions is found in explicit form.

On the Pomeranchuk singularity in the quantum chromodynamics

The partition function of $${\mathcal{N}=6}$$
 supersymmetric Chern–Simons-matter theory (known as ABJM theory) on $${\mathbb{S}^3}$$
 , as well as certain Wilson loop observables, are captured by a zero dimensional super-matrix model. This super–matrix model is closely related to a matrix model describing topological Chern–Simons theory on a lens space. We explore further these recent observations and extract more exact results in ABJM theory from the matrix model. In particular we calculate the planar free energy, which matches at strong coupling the classical IIA supergravity action on $${{\rm AdS}_4\times\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^3}$$
 and gives the correct N
 3/2 scaling for the number of degrees of freedom of the M2 brane theory. Furthermore we find contributions coming from world-sheet instanton corrections in $${\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^3}$$
 . We also calculate non-planar corrections, both to the free energy and to the Wilson loop expectation values. This matrix model appears also in the study of topological strings on a toric Calabi–Yau manifold, and an intriguing connection arises between the space of couplings of the planar ABJM theory and the moduli space of this Calabi–Yau. In particular it suggests that, in addition to the usual perturbative and strong coupling (AdS) expansions, a third natural expansion locus is the line where one of the two ’t Hooft couplings vanishes and the other is finite. This is the conifold locus of the Calabi–Yau, and leads to an expansion around topological Chern–Simons theory. We present some explicit results for the partition function and Wilson loop observables around this locus.

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From weak to strong coupling in ABJM theory

Using the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz method we derive an infinite set of integral non-linear equations for the spectrum of states/operators in AdS/CFT. The Y-system conjectured in Gromov et al. (Integrability for the Full Spectrum of Planar AdS/CFT. arXiv:0901.3753 [hep-th]) for the spectrum of all operators in planar N = 4 SYM theory follows from these equations. In particular, we present the integral TBA type equations for the spectrum of all operators within the sl(2) sector. We prove that all the kernels and free terms entering these TBA equations are real and have nice fusion properties in the relevant mirror kinematics. We find the analog of DHM formula for the dressing kernel in the mirror kinematics.

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Exact Spectrum of Anomalous Dimensions of Planar N=4 Supersymmetric Yang-Mills Theory: TBA and excited states

Tree-level scattering amplitudes in = 4 super Yang-Mills theory have recently been shown to transform covariantly with respect to a `dual' superconformal symmetry algebra, thus extending the conventional superconformal symmetry algebra psu(2,2|4) of the theory. In this paper we derive the action of the dual superconformal generators in on-shell superspace and extend the dual generators suitably to leave scattering amplitudes invariant. We then study the algebra of standard and dual symmetry generators and show that the inclusion of the dual superconformal generators lifts the psu(2,2|4) symmetry algebra to a Yangian. The non-local Yangian generators acting on amplitudes turn out to be cyclically invariant due to special properties of psu(2,2|4). The representation of the Yangian generators takes the same form as in the case of local operators, suggesting that the Yangian symmetry is an intrinsic property of planar = 4 super Yang-Mills, at least at tree level.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1126-6708/2009/05/046/pdf

Yangian symmetry of scattering amplitudes in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory

We derive the planar dilatation operator in the closed subsector of scalar composite operators of an N=2 superconformal quiver gauge theory to three loops. By tuning the ratio of its two gauge couplings we interpolate between a Z_2 orbifold of N=4 SYM theory and N=2 superconformal QCD. We find zeta(3) contributions at three loops that disappear when the theory is at the orbifold point. They are responsible for imaginary contributions to the dispersion relation of a single scalar excitation in the spin-chain picture. This points towards an interpretation of the individual scalar excitations as effective rather than as elementary magnons. We argue that the elementary excitations should be associated with certain fermions and covariant derivatives, and that integrability in the respective subsectors should persist at least to two loops.

From N=4 gauge theory to N=2 conformal QCD: three-loop mixing of scalar composite operators

We compute the anomalous dimension of a length-five operator at five-loop order in the SU(2) sector of N=4 SYM theory in the planar limit. This is critical wrapping order at five loops. The result is obtained perturbatively by means of N=1 superspace techniques. Our result from perturbation theory confirms explicitly the formula conjectured in arXiv:0901.4864 for the five-loop anomalous dimension of twist-three operators. We also explicitly obtain the same result by employing the recently proposed Y-system.

Five-loop anomalous dimension at critical wrapping order in N=4 SYM

Form factors of composite operators in the SL(2) sector of $$ \mathcal{N} $$
 = 4 SYM theory are studied up to two loops via the on-shell unitarity method. The non-compactness of this subsector implies the novel feature and technical challenge of an unlimited number of loop momenta in the integrand’s numerator. At one loop, we derive the full minimal form factor to all orders in the dimensional regularisation parameter. At two loops, we construct the complete integrand for composite operators with an arbitrary number of covariant derivatives, and we obtain the remainder functions as well as the dilatation operator for composite operators with up to three covariant derivatives. The remainder functions reveal curious patterns suggesting a hidden maximal uniform transcendentality for the full form factor. Finally, we speculate about an extension of these patterns to QCD.

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Two-Loop SL(2) Form Factors and Maximal Transcendentality

We study finite size effects for composite operators in the SU(2) sector of the superconformal ?-deformed = 4 SYM theory. In particular we concentrate on the spectrum of one single magnon. Since in this theory one-impurity states are non BPS we compute their anomalous dimensions including wrapping contributions up to four loops and discuss higher order effects.

Finite-size effects in the superconformal β-deformed = 4 SYM

We show that the γi-deformation, which was proposed as candidate gauge theory for a non-supersymmetric three-parameter deformation of the AdS/CFT correspondence, is not conformally invariant due to a running double-trace coupling – even in the ’t Hooft limit. Moreover, this cannot be cured when we extend the theory by adding at tree-level arbitrary multi-trace couplings that obey certain minimal consistency requirements. Our findings suggest a possible connection between this breakdown of conformal invariance and a puzzling divergence recently encountered in the integrability-based descriptions of two-loop finite-size corrections for the single-trace operator of two identical chiral fields. We propose a test for clarifying this.

Christoph Sieg

Papers

From N=4 gauge theory to N=2 conformal QCD: three-loop mixing of scalar composite operators

Five-loop anomalous dimension at critical wrapping order in N=4 SYM

Two-Loop SL(2) Form Factors and Maximal Transcendentality

Finite-size effects in the superconformal β-deformed = 4 SYM

Non-conformality of γi-deformed N = 4 SYM theory