Check-operators and quantum spectral curves (Q2360314)

This paper is a review of the basic properties of effective actions of families of theories (i.e., the actions depending on additional non-perturbative moduli along with perturbative couplings), and their description in terms of operators (called check-operators), which act on the moduli space. This is a review of earlier results mostly described in [\textit{A. S. Alexandrov} et al., Fortschr. Phys. 53, No. 5--6, 512--521 (2005; Zbl 1065.81103); Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 21, No. 12, 2481--2517 (2006; Zbl 1098.81075); ibid. A 24, No. 27, 4939--4998 (2009; Zbl 1179.81127); ibid. A 19, No. 24, 4127--4163 (2004; Zbl 1087.81051)] and [\textit{D. Galakhov} et al.,``\(S\)-duality and modular transformation as a non-perturbative deformation of the ordinary \(pq\)-duality'', J. High Energy Phys. 2014, No. 6, Article ID 050, 24 p. (2014)]. In particular, the check-operators were introduced in [\textit{A. S. Alexandrov} et al., Fortschr. Phys. 53, No. 5--6, 512--521 (2005; Zbl 1065.81103); Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 21, No. 12, 2481--2517 (2006; Zbl 1098.81075)], where their properties were discussed. Among the check-operators, there is the main check-operator with a crucial property. In a different situation, this main check-operator was discussed in [Galakhov et al., loc. cit.]. The authors introduced and explained the very important notion of check-operator: the operator that acts on the moduli space of theories (or vacua/solutions). They constructed the operator manifestly in the simplest example of the Hermitian matrix model and in a more involved example of the two-dimensional conformal field theory, and demonstrated its use by deriving the corresponding Seiberg-Witten structures and the quantum spectral curves. They also illustrated the usefulness of the concept by a simple evaluation of the kernel of modular transformation of the conformal blocks done in terms of the check-operators. The calculation used a wonderful relation (a crucial property), which provides the impressive example of the properties and the relevance of check-operators for the quantization theory. The paper is divided into six sections entitled : Introduction, Multiple solutions to the Virasoro constraints, Check-operators, Seiberg-Witten (SW) like solutions and integrable properties, Quantum spectral curves, Quantum curves from degenerate conformal blocks, Modular kernels in conformal field theory and Conclusion.