Contributor info: Dr Ramon Miravitllas

Marcos Mariño, Ramon Miravitllas

SciPost Phys. 18, 101 (2025) · published 19 March 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

The Shifman–Vainshtein–Zakharov (SVZ) sum rules provide a method to obtain trans-series expansions in many quantum field theories, in which exponentially small corrections are calculated by combining the operator product expansion with the assumption of vacuum condensates. In some solvable models, exact expressions for trans-series can be obtained from non-perturbative results, and this makes it possible to test the SVZ method by comparing its predictions to these exact trans-series. In this paper we perform such a precision test in the example of the fermion self-energy in the Gross–Neveu model. Its exact trans-series expansion can be extracted from the large $N$ solution, at the first non-trivial order in $1/N$. It is given by an infinite series of exponentially small corrections involving factorially divergent power series in the 't Hooft parameter. We show that the first two corrections are associated to two-quark and four-quark condensates, and we reproduce the corresponding power series exactly, and at all loops, by using the SVZ method. In addition, the numerical values of the condensates can be extracted from the exact result, up to order $1/N$.

Marcos Mariño, Ramon Miravitllas

SciPost Phys. 16, 155 (2024) · published 19 June 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

The $1/N$ expansion of matrix models is asymptotic, and it requires non-perturbative corrections due to large $N$ instantons. Explicit expressions for large $N$ instanton amplitudes are known in the case of Hermitian matrix models with one cut, but not in the multi-cut case. We show that the recent exact results on topological string instanton amplitudes provide the non-perturbative contributions of large $N$ instantons in generic multi-cut, Hermitian matrix models. We present a detailed test in the case of the cubic matrix model by considering the asymptotics of its $1/N$ expansion, which we obtain at relatively high genus for a generic two-cut background. These results can be extended to certain non-conventional matrix models which admit a topological string theory description. As an application, we determine the large $N$ instanton corrections for the free energy of ABJM theory on the three-sphere, which correspond to D-brane instanton corrections in superstring theory. We also illustrate the applications of topological string instantons in a more mathematical setting by considering orbifold Gromov-Witten invariants. By focusing on the example of ${\mathbb C}^3/{\mathbb Z}_3$, we show that they grow doubly-factorially with the genus and we obtain and test explicit asymptotic formulae for them.

Marcos Mariño, Ramon Miravitllas, Tomas Reis

SciPost Phys. 15, 184 (2023) · published 3 November 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

Some sigma models which admit a theta angle are integrable at both $\vartheta=0$ and $\vartheta=\pi$. This includes the well-known $O(3)$ sigma model and two families of coset sigma models studied by Fendley. We consider the ground state energy of these models in the presence of a magnetic field, which can be computed with the Bethe Ansatz. We obtain explicit results for its non-perturbative corrections and we study the effect of the theta angle on them. We show that imaginary, exponentially small corrections due to renormalons remain unchanged, while instanton corrections change sign, as expected. We find in addition corrections due to renormalons which also change sign as we turn on the theta angle. Based on these results we present an explicit non-perturbative formula for the topological susceptibility of the $O(3)$ sigma model in the presence of a magnetic field, in the weak coupling limit.