AdS$_4$/CFT$_3$ for Unprotected Operators

TL;DR

This paper computes corrections to four-point functions in ABJ(M) theory using Mellin space, confirming holographic predictions and matching numerical bootstrap results for both protected and unprotected operators.

Contribution

It provides the first explicit calculation of $1/c_T$ corrections to anomalous dimensions and OPE coefficients in $ ext{AdS}_4/ ext{CFT}_3$ for unprotected operators, validating holography and bootstrap methods.

Findings

Exact agreement with localization results for BPS operators.

Match with numerical bootstrap for non-BPS operators at large $c_T$.

First computation of $1/c_T$ corrections in this context.

Abstract

We consider the four-point function of the lowest scalar in the stress-energy tensor multiplet in $\mathcal{N}=8$ ABJ(M) theory \cite{Aharony:2008ug, Aharony:2008gk}. At large central charge $c_T\sim N^{3/2}$, this correlator is given by the corresponding holographic correlation function in 11d supergravity on $AdS_4\times S^7$. We use Mellin space techniques to compute the leading $1/c_T$ correction to anomalous dimensions and OPE coefficients of operators that appear in this holographic correlator. For half and quarter-BPS operators, we find exact agreement with previously computed localization results. For the other BPS and non-BPS operators, our results match the $\mathcal{N}=8$ numerical bootstrap for ABJ(M) at large $c_T$, which provides a precise check of unprotected observables in AdS/CFT.