In this article we use 5-brane junctions to study the 5D T N SCFTs corresponding to the 5D N = 1 uplift of the 4D N = 2 strongly coupled gauge theories, which are obtained by compactifying N M5 branes on a sphere with three full punctures. Even though these theories have no Lagrangian description, by using the 5-brane junctions proposed by Benini, Benvenuti and Tachikawa, we are able to derive their Seiberg-Witten curves and Nekrasov partition functions. We cross-check our results with the 5D superconformal index proposed by Kim, Kim and Lee. Through the AGTW correspondence, we discuss the relations between 5D superconformal indices and n-point functions of the q-deformed W N Toda theories.

We perform an exact localization calculation for the expectation values of Wilson-'t Hooft line operators in N = 2 gauge theories on S 1 × R 3 . The expectation values are naturally expressed in terms of the complexified Fenchel-Nielsen coordinates, and form a quantum mechanically deformed algebra of functions on the associated Hitchin moduli space by Moyal multiplication. We propose that these expectation values are the Weyl transform of the Verlinde operators, which act on Liouville/Toda conformal blocks as difference operators. We demonstrate our proposal explicitly in SU (N ) examples.1

We study the dual descriptions recently discovered for the Seiberg-Witten theory in the presence of surface operators. The Nekrasov partition function for a four-dimensional N = 2 gauge theory with a surface operator is believed equal to the wave-function of the corresponding integrable system, or the Hitchin system, and is identified with the conformal block with a degenerate field via the AGT relation. We verify the conjecture by showing that the null state condition leads to the Schrödinger equations of the integrable systems. Furthermore, we show that the deformed prepotential emerging from the period integrals of the principal function corresponds to monodromy operation of the conformal block. We also give the instanton partition functions for the asymptotically free SU(2) gauge theories in the presence of the surface operator via the AGT relation. We find that these partition functions involve the counting of two-and four-dimensional instantons. *

In this article we explore the duality between the low energy effective theory of five-dimensional N=1 SU(N)^{M-1} and SU(M)^{N-1} linear quiver gauge theories compactified on S^1. The theories we study are the five-dimensional uplifts of four-dimensional superconformal linear quivers. We study this duality by comparing the Seiberg-Witten curves and the Nekrasov partition functions of the two dual theories. The Seiberg-Witten curves are obtained by minimizing the worldvolume of an M5-brane with nontrivial geometry. Nekrasov partition functions are computed using topological string theory. The result of our study is a map between the gauge theory parameters, i.e., Coulomb moduli, masses and UV coupling constants, of the two dual theories. Apart from the obvious physical interest, this duality also leads to compelling mathematical identities. Through the AGTW conjecture these five-dimentional gauge theories are related to q-deformed Liouville and Toda SCFTs in two-dimensions. The duality we study implies the relations between Liouville and Toda correlation functions through the map we derive.Comment: 58 pages, 17 figures; v2: minor corrections, references adde

We propose a new 5d description of the circle-compactified 6d (D N +4 , D N +4 ) minimal conformal matter theory which can be approached by the 6d N = (1, 0) Sp(N ) gauge theory with N f = 2N + 8 flavors and one tensor multiplet. Compactifying the brane set-up for the 6d theory, we arrive at a 5-brane Tao diagram for 5d N = 1 SU(N + 2) theory of the vanishing Chern-Simons level with 2N + 8 flavors. We conjecture that the 6d theory is recovered as the UV fixed point of this 5d theory. We show that the global symmetry of this 5d theory is SO(4N + 16) identical to that of the 6d theory by analyzing the 7-brane monodromy. By using the Tao diagram, we also find the instanton fugacity is exactly given by the circle radius. By decoupling flavors in this 5d theory, one can obtain all the 5d SU(N + 2) gauge theories of various Chern-Simons levels and corresponding enhanced global symmetries at the 5d UV fixed point.