New Methods in QFT and QCD: From Large-N Orbifold Equivalence to Bions and Resurgence

TL;DR

This paper explores new non-perturbative ideas in quantum field theory, including large-N equivalences, semi-classical calculability, and resurgence, to better understand phenomena like mass gaps and symmetry realizations.

Contribution

It introduces a unified framework connecting large-N orbifold equivalence, semi-classical methods, and resurgence to analyze non-perturbative aspects of QFT.

Findings

Large-N orbifold equivalence links QCD to QCD with adjoint fermions.

Volume independence enables semi-classical analysis on small compactified spaces.

Neutral bions relate to infrared renormalons and mass gap generation.

Abstract

We present a broad conceptual introduction to some new ideas in non-perturbative QFT. The large-$N$ orbifold-orientifold equivalence connects a natural large-$N$ limit of QCD to QCD with adjoint fermions. QCD(adj) with periodic boundary conditions and double-trace deformation of Yang-Mills theory satisfy large-$N$ volume independence, a type of orbifold equivalence. Certain QFTs that satisfy volume independence at $N=\infty$ exhibit adiabatic continuity at finite-$N$, and also become semi-classically calculable on small $\mathbb R^3 \times S^1$. We discuss the role of monopole-instantons, and magnetic and neutral bion saddles in connection to mass gap, and center and chiral symmetry realizations. Neutral bions also provide a weak coupling semiclassical realization of infrared-renormalons. These considerations help motivate the necessity of complexification of path integrals (Picard-Lefschetz theory) in semi-classical analysis, and highlights the importance of hidden topological angles. Finally, we briefly review the resurgence program, which potentially provides a novel non-perturbative continuum definition of QFT. All these ideas are continuously connected.