From 3d dualities to 2d free field correlators and back

Abstract

Abstract We investigate the relation between 3d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2 theories and 2d free field correlators or Dotsenko-Fateev (DF) integrals for Liouville CFT. We show that the S 2 × S 1 partition functions of some known 3d Seiberg-like dualities reduce, in a suitable 2d limit, to known basic duality identities for DF correlators. These identities are applied in a variety of contexts in CFT, as for example in the derivation of the DOZZ 3-point function. Reversing the logic, we can try to guess new 3d IR dualities which reduce to more intricate duality relations for the DF correlators. For example, we show that a recently proposed duality relating the U(N) theory with one flavor and one adjoint to a WZ model can be regarded as the 3d ancestor of the evaluation formula for the DF integral representation of the 3-point correlator. We are also able to interpret the analytic continuation in the number of screening charges, which is performed on the CFT side to reconstruct the DOZZ 3-point function, as the geometric transition relating the 3d U(N) theory to the 5d T 2 theory.