Speaker
Description
Sigma-models are a class of quantum field theories that play an important role in many areas of physics, from string theory, to condensed matter, to pions. In two dimensions, particular choices of sigma-models are known to be integrable, or exactly solvable. I will present our results with Ben Hoare and Arkady Tseytlin on what happens if the couplings of integrable sigma-models are promoted to become spacetime dependent. Our finding across many examples is that the spacetime dependence apparently preserves classical integrability precisely when the dependence is according to the 1-loop renormalization group (RG) equation of the same theory. This statement is a surprising classical—quantum relation between classical integrability and the 1-loop RG flow. I will review interesting links between these spacetime dependent models and (i) string backgrounds built from the same sigma-model and (ii) 4d gravity reduced along two isometries. Finally, I will comment on relations to ongoing developments in the field.
[Based on 2008.01112]