Large $N$ expansion of an integrated correlator in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the large N limit of an exact integrated correlator in N=4 SYM, revealing non-perturbative D3-brane instanton effects via string theory dualities and a Laplace-difference equation approach.

Contribution

It provides a detailed large N expansion of the correlator, connecting it to string theory contributions and non-perturbative effects using novel analytical methods.

Findings

Recast the correlator formula as a sum over (p,q)-string contributions.

Identify D3-brane instantons as non-perturbative corrections.

Use a Laplace-difference equation to systematically analyze the correlator.

Abstract

Recently Dorigoni, Green and Wen conjectured a remarkable exact formula for an integrated correlator of four superconformal primary operators in $\mathcal{N}=4$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. In this work, we investigate its large $N$ limit in detail. We show that the formula of Dorigoni, Green and Wen can be recast into the sum over the contributions of $(p,q)$-strings. Due to the $SL(2,\mathbb{Z})$ duality, all the contributions are governed by a single function, typically appearing as the fundamental string contribution. The large order behavior for the perturbative genus expansion of this function allows us to reveal the large $N$ non-perturbative corrections, which we interpret as the D3-brane instantons in the holographically dual type IIB string theory. The same result is obtained more systematically by using a Laplace-difference equation for the integrated correlator.