Non-Perturbative Aspects of Self-Dual Gauge Theory (April 17, 2025)

Explore non-perturbative aspects of self-dual gauge theory in this 42-minute lecture by Kevin Costello from the Simons Foundation. Discover two novel approaches to computing the beta-function when instanton effects are included in a theory that is conformal in perturbation theory. Learn about calculations based on the Grothendieck-Riemann-Roch formula and those utilizing holography in the topological string, both providing new methods to compute the standard QCD beta-function at one loop without Feynman diagrams. The lecture may also cover how instantons affect scattering amplitudes if time allows.