On the 6d origin of discrete additional data of 4d gauge theories

Abstract

Starting with a choice of gauge algebras, specification of a 4d gauge theory involves additional data, namely the gauge groups and the discrete theta angles. Equivalently, one needs to specify the set of charges of allowed line operators. In this note, we study how these additional data are represented in 6d, when the 4d theory in question is an N=4 super Yang-Mills theory or an N=2 class S theory. We will see that the Z_N symmetry of the so-called T_N theory plays an important role. As a byproduct, we will find that the superconformal index of class S theories can be refined so that it can give 2d q-deformed Yang-Mills theory with different gauge groups associated to the same gauge algebra.