Multi-Instanton Calculus in N=2 Supersymmetric Gauge Theory
Abstract
The Seiberg-Witten solution of N=2 supersymmetric SU(2) gauge theory may be viewed as a prediction for the infinite family of constants Fn measuring the n-instanton contribution to the prepotential F. Here we examine the instanton physics directly, in particular the contribution of the general self-dual solution of topological charge n constructed by Atiyah, Drinfeld, Hitchin and Manin (ADHM). In both the bosonic and supersymmetric cases, we determine both the large- and short-distance behavior of all the fields in this background. This allows us to construct the exact classical interaction between n ADHM (super-)instantons mediated by the adjoint Higgs. We calculate the one- and two-instanton contributions to the low-energy Seiberg-Witten effective action, and find precise agreement with their predicted values of F1 and F2.
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