Questions tagged [large-n]

70 questions
49
votes
1 answer

$\operatorname{O}(N)$ sigma model at large $N$

I would like to better understand the main principles of large-$N$ expansion in quantum field theory. To this end, I decided to consider a simple toy model with lagrangian (from Wikipedia) $ \mathcal{L} = \frac{1}{2}(\partial_{\mu}…
12
votes
2 answers

Matrix models and condensed matter physics

I am sending a couple of questions which seem a bit more specific than others on this site, partially to probe if there is a point in doing so. Not sure what is the range of expertise here, and no way to find out without trying. This one is also not…
10
votes
1 answer

What is the physical meaning of the large $N$ expansion?

I know about the $1/N$ expansion for some time. Apart from the fact that as Witten suggests, it can be the correct expansion parameter of QCD Baryons in the $1/N$ Expansion (in a parallel that he draws between QED and QCD coupling constants), I was…
9
votes
2 answers

Large-$N$ Yang Mills

I've bumped into the study of the $SU(N)$ theory in the large-$N$ limit. I'm wondering in which way the study of this Yang-Mills theory, can give contribution to QCD with gauge group $SU(3)$, i.e. $N=3$ Any suggestion?
7
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0 answers

Correlators at large $N$ and large $N$ factorization

I am having this very basic problem. In e.g Maldacena's AdS/CFT review (https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0309246) (page 5), he has defined operators as $\mathcal{O}=N\,{\rm tr}[f(M)]$ for some matrices $M$ and got the connected correlators as…
7
votes
1 answer

Isn't AdS/CFT an end to String theory as a fundamental theory?

I start with the Large $N$ QCD paper by 't Hooft. When 't Hooft published his paper on Large $N$ QCD it was clear why the string theory of hadrons due to Gabriele Veneziano could make sense. But at the same time, it was an end to strings as…
Bastam Tajik
  • 1,310
7
votes
2 answers

Exact solution of SU($N$) model in large $N$ limit

There is the statement about $\text{U}(N)$ model: It is not possible to solve $\text{U}(N)$ model even in large $N$ limit I do not understand this statement. If I go to large $N$ limit I know that only planar diagrams contribute to correlators.…
6
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1 answer

How can I show that $1/N$ expansion for large $N$ matrix models have a string theoretical perturbation expansion?

While surfing through some further reading suggestions on string theory, I stumbled upon this slide from a talk by Nathan Seiberg. I wanted to derive the main argument by applying a perturbation expansion for this partition function, but I couldn't…
6
votes
1 answer

A question on large-N limit?

Let's take $SU(N)$ for an example. The Lagrangian is $$\mathcal{L}=-\frac{1}{4g_{YM}^2}F_{\mu\nu}F^{\mu\nu}.$$ We can define the t'Hooft coupling as $$\lambda=g_{YM}^2N.$$ Then the large-$N$ limit or the t'Hooft limit is: $$N\rightarrow\infty,\…
6
votes
0 answers

Relation between holography and matrix models

Let's consider a 0-dimensional $N \times N$ Hermitean one matrix model. It is defined by a potential V(M). Its partition function is $$Z = \int_{H_{N}} dM e^{-\frac{1}{g}V(M)}$$ where $H_{N}$ is the space of $N \times N$ Hermitean matrices and g…
6
votes
1 answer

Normalization of Source Terms in Large-N Gauge Theory

Typically when you do the counting for large N gauge theory, you rescale fields so that the Lagrangian takes the form \begin{equation} \mathcal{L}=N[-\frac{1}{2g^2}TrF^2+\bar{\psi}_i\gamma^\mu D_\mu \psi_i] \end{equation} where I have chosen the…
Dan
  • 2,757
5
votes
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Some questions about the large-N Gross-Neveu-Yukawa model

Consider the following action with a fermionic field $\psi$ and a scalar field $\sigma$, $S = \int d^dx \{ -\bar{\psi}(\gamma^\mu \partial_\mu +\sigma )\psi + \Lambda^{d-4}[ \frac{(\partial_\mu \sigma )^2 + m^2\sigma^2 }{2g^2 } + \frac{\lambda…
5
votes
2 answers

Mean field theory = large-$N$ approximation?

Wikipedia entry of $1/N$ expansion (or 't Hooft large-N expansion) mentions that It (large-$N$) is also extensively used in condensed matter physics where it can be used to provide a rigorous basis for mean field theory. I would like reference(s)…
5
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0 answers

How large is large $N$?

I once heard Lenny Susskind relate the question: "how many particles do you need in a box for the ideal gas law to 'pretty much' hold?" Obviously this question requires a notion of 'pretty much' to formalize. In thermodynamics we usually assume $N…
5
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1 answer

What's the difference and relations between $SU(N)$ Schwinger boson and $CP(N\!-\!1)$ non-linear sigma model?

There are two ways when dealing with spin system(Heisenberg model): non-linear $\sigma$ model and Schwinger boson. Non-linear $\sigma$ model When taking large $S$ limit, the quantum fluctuation of spin will be suppressed, which is so called…
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