Matthias Staudacher

Review of AdS/CFT Integrability: An Overview

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.

Transcendentality and crossing

We discuss possible phase factors for the S-matrix of planar gauge theory, leading to modifications at four-loop order as compared to an earlier proposal. While these result in a four-loop breakdown of perturbative BMN scaling, Kotikov?Lipatov transcendentality in the universal scaling function for large-spin twist operators may be preserved. One particularly natural choice, unique up to one constant, modifies the overall contribution of all terms containing odd-zeta functions in the earlier proposed scaling function based on a trivial phase. Excitingly, we present evidence that this choice is non-perturbatively related to a recently conjectured crossing-symmetric phase factor for perturbative string theory on AdS5 ? S5 once the constant is fixed to a particular value. Our proposal, if true, might therefore resolve the long-standing AdS/CFT discrepancies between gauge and string theory.

The N=4 SYM Integrable Super Spin Chain

Recently it was established that the one-loop planar dilatation generator of N = 4 Super Yang-Mills theory may be identified, in some restricted cases, with the Hamiltonians of various integrable quantum spin chains. In particular Minahan and Zarembo established that the restriction to scalar operators leads to an integrable vector so(6) chain, while recent work in QCD suggested that restricting to twist operators, containing mostly covariant derivatives, yields certain integrable Heisenberg XXX chains with non-compact spin symmetry sl(2). Here we unify and generalize these insights and argue that the complete one-loop planar dilatation generator of N = 4 is described by an integrable su(2,2|4) super spin chain. We also write down various forms of the associated Bethe ansatz equations, whose solutions are in one-to-one correspondence with the complete set of all one-loop planar anomalous dimensions in the N = 4 gauge theory. We finally speculate on the non-perturbative extension of these integrable structures, which appears to involve non-local deformations of the conserved charges.

Bethe ansatz for quantum strings

We propose Bethe equations for the diagonalization of the Hamiltonian of quantum strings on AdS5 ×S 5 at large string tension and restricted to certain large charge states from a closed su(2) subsector. The ansatz differs from the recently proposed all-loop gauge theory asymptotic Bethe ansatz by additional factorized scattering terms for the local excitations. We also show that our ansatz quantitatively reproduces everything that is currently known about the string spectrum of these states. Firstly, by construction, we recover the integral Bethe equations describing semiclassical spinning strings. Secondly, we explain how to derive the 1/J energy corrections of M-impurity BMN states, provide explicit, general formulae for both distinct and confluent mode numbers, and compare to asymptotic gauge theory. In the special cases M = 2,3 we reproduce the results of direct quantization of Callan et al. Lastly, at large string tension and relatively small charge we recover the famous 2 4 √ n 2 � asymptotics of massive string modes at level n. Remarkably, this behavior is entirely determined by the novel scattering terms. This is qualitatively consistent with the conjecture that these terms occur due to wrapping effects in gauge theory. Our finding does not in itself cure the disagreements between gauge and string theory, but leads us to speculate about the structure of an interpolating Bethe ansatz for the AdS/CFT system at finite coupling and charge.

The factorized S-matrix of CFT/AdS

We argue that the recently discovered integrability in the large-N CFT/AdS system is equivalent to diffractionless scattering of the corresponding hidden elementary excitations. This suggests that, perhaps, the key tool for finding the spectrum of this system is neither the gauge theorys dilatation operator nor the string sigma models quantum hamiltonian, but instead the respective factorized S-matrix. To illustrate the idea, we focus on the closed fermionic (1|1) sector of the = 4 gauge theory. We introduce a new technique, the perturbative asymptotic Bethe ansatz, and use it to extract this sectors three-loop S-matrix from Beiserts involved algebraic work on the three-loop (2|3) sector. We then show that the current knowledge about semiclassical and near-plane-wave quantum strings in the (2), (1|1) and (2) sectors of AdS5 × S5 is fully consistent with the existence of a factorized S-matrix. Analyzing the available information, we find an intriguing relation between the three associated S-matrices. Assuming that the relation also holds in gauge theory, we derive the three-loop S-matrix of the (2) sector even though this sectors dilatation operator is not yet known beyond one loop. The resulting Bethe ansatz reproduces the three-loop anomalous dimensions of twist-two operators recently conjectured by Kotikov, Lipatov, Onishchenko and Velizhanin, whose work is based on a highly complex QCD computation of Moch, Vermaseren and Vogt.

A Novel Long-Range Spin Chain and Planar N = 4 Super Yang-Mills

We probe the long-range spin chain approach to planar N = 4 gauge theory at high loop order. A recently employed hyperbolic spin chain invented by Inozemtsev is suitable for the su(2) subsector of the state space up to three loops, but ceases to exhibit the conjectured thermodynamic scaling properties at higher orders. We indicate how this may be bypassed while nevertheless preserving integrability, and suggest the corresponding all-loop asymptotic Bethe ansatz. We also propose the local part of the all-loop gauge transfer matrix, leading to conjectures for the asymptotically exact formulae for all local commuting charges. The ansatz is finally shown to be related to a standard inhomogeneous spin chain. A comparison of our ansatz to semi-classical string theory uncovers a detailed, non-perturbative agreement between the corresponding expressions for the infinite tower of local charge densities. However, the respective Bethe equations differ slightly, and we end by refining and elaborating a previously proposed possible explanation for this disagreement.

Stringing Spins and Spinning Strings

We apply recently developed integrable spin chain and dilatation operator techniques in order to compute the planar one-loop anomalous dimensions for certain operators containing a large number of scalar fields in N = 4 Super Yang-Mills. The first set of operators, belonging to the SO(6) representations [J,L 2J,J], interpolate smoothly between the BMN case of two impurities (J = 2) and the extreme case where the number of impurities equals half the total number of fields (J = L/2). The result for this particular [J,0,J] operator is smaller than the anomalous dimension derived by Frolov and Tseytlin [hep-th/0304255] for a semiclassical string configuration which is the dual of a gauge invariant operator in the same representation. We then identify a second set of operators which also belong to [J,L 2J,J] representations, but which do not have a BMN limit. In this case the anomalous dimension of the [J,0,J] operator does match the Frolov-Tseytlin prediction. We also show that the fluctuation spectra for this [J,0,J] operator is consistent with the string prediction.

Planar N=4 Gauge Theory and the Inozemtsev Long Range Spin Chain

We investigate whether the (planar, two complex scalar) dilatation operator of N = 4 gauge theory can be, perturbatively and, perhaps, non-perturbatively, described by an integrable long range spin chain with elliptic exchange interaction. Such a chain was introduced some time ago by Inozemtsev. In the limit of sufficiently “long” operators a Bethe ansatz exists, which we apply at the perturbative two- and three-loop level. Spectacular agreement is found with spinning string predictions of Frolov and Tseytlin for the two-loop energies of certain large charge operators. However, we then go on to show that the agreement between perturbative gauge theory and semi-classical string theory begins to break down, in a subtle fashion, at the three-loop level. This corroborates a recently found disagreement between three-loop gauge theory and near plane-wave string theory results, and quantitatively explains a previously obtained puzzling deviation between the string proposal and a numerical extrapolation of finite size three-loop anomalous dimensions. At four loops and beyond, we find that the Inozemtsev chain exhibits a generic breakdown of perturbative BMN scaling. However, our proposal is not necessarily limited to perturbation theory, and one would hope that the string theory results can be recovered from the Inozemtsev chain at strong ’t Hooft coupling.

Precision spectroscopy of AdS/CFT

We extend recent remarkable progress in the comparison of the dynamical energy spectrum of rotating closed strings in AdS5 ×S 5 and the scaling weights of the corresponding non-near-BPS operators in planar N = 4 supersymmetric gauge theory. On the string side the computations are feasible, using semiclassical methods, if angular momentum quantum numbers are large. This results in a prediction of gauge theory anomalous dimensions to all orders in the ‘t Hooft coupling λ. On the gauge side the direct computation of these dimensions is feasible, using a recently discovered relation to integrable (super) spin chains, provided one considers the lowest order in λ. This oneloop computation then predicts the small-tension limit of the string spectrum for all (i.e. small or large) quantum numbers. In the overlapping window of large quantum numbers and small effective string tension, the string theory and gauge theory results are found to match in a mathematically highly nontrivial fashion. In particular, we compare energies of states with (i) two large angular momenta in S 5 , and (ii) one large angular momentum in AdS5 and S 5 each, and show that the solutions are related by an analytic continuation. Finally, numerical evidence is presented on the gauge side that the agreement persists also at higher (two) loop order.

A new double-scaling limit of N=4 super-Yang–Mills theory and pp-wave strings

Abstract The metric of a spacetime with a parallel plane (pp)-wave can be obtained in a certain limit of the space AdS5 × S5. According to the AdS/CFT correspondence, the holographic dual of superstring theory on that background should be the analogous limit of N =4 supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory. In this paper we shall show that, contrary to widespread expectation, non-planar diagrams survive this limiting procedure in the gauge theory. Using matrix model techniques as well as combinatorial reasoning it is demonstrated that a subset of diagrams of arbitrary genus survives and that a non-trivial double scaling limit may be defined. We exactly compute two- and three-point functions of chiral primaries in this limit. We also carefully study certain operators conjectured to correspond to string excitations on the pp-wave background. We find non-planar linear mixing of these proposed operators, requiring their redefinition. Finally, we show that the redefined operators receive non-planar corrections to the planar one-loop anomalous dimension.