We present a closed form expression for the semiclassical OPE coefficients that are universal for all 2D CFTs with a “weak” light spectrum, by taking the semiclassical limit of the fusion kernel. We match this with a properly regularized and normalized bulk action evaluated on a geometry with three conical defects, analytically continued in the deficit angles beyond the range for which a metric with positive signature exists. The analytically continued geometry has a codimension-one coordinate singularity surrounding the heaviest conical defect. This singularity becomes a horizon after Wick rotating to Lorentzian signature, suggesting a connection between universality and the existence of a horizon.

We study two-dimensional conformal field theories in the semiclassical limit. In this limit, the four-point function is dominated by intermediate primaries of particular weights along with their descendants, and the crossing equations simplify drastically. For a four-point function receiving sufficiently small contributions from the light primaries, the structure constants involving heavy primaries follow a universal formula. Applying our results to the four-point function of the Z_2 twist field in the symmetric product orbifold, we produce the Hellerman bound and the logarithmically corrected Cardy formula that is valid for h ≥ c/12.

We study tree level scattering amplitudes of four massless states in the double scaled little string theory, and compare them to perturbative loop amplitudes in six-dimensional super-Yang-Mills theory. The little string amplitudes are computed from correlators in the cigar coset CFT and in N = 2 minimal models. The results are expressed in terms of integrals of conformal blocks and evaluated numerically in the α ′ expansion. We find striking agreements with up to 2-loop scattering amplitudes of massless gluons in 6D SU(k) SYM at a ℤ_k invariant point on the Coulomb branch. We comment on the issue of UV divergence at higher loop orders in the gauge theory and discuss the implication of our results.

Continuing our exploration of maximally supersymmetric gauge theories (MSYM) deformed by higher dimensional operators, in this paper we consider an off-shell approach based on pure spinor superspace and focus on constructing supersymmetric deformations beyond the first order. In particular, we give a construction of the Batalin-Vilkovisky action of an all-order non-Abelian Born-Infeld deformation of MSYM in the non-minimal pure spinor formalism. We also discuss subtleties in the integration over the pure spinor superspace and the relevance of Berkovits-Nekrasov regularization.

We study deformations of maximally supersymmetric gauge theories by higher dimensional operators in various spacetime dimensions. We classify infinitesimal deformations that preserve all 16 supersymmetries, while allowing the possibility of breaking either Lorentz or R-symmetry, using an on-shell algebraic method developed by Movshev and Schwarz. We also consider the problem of extending the deformation beyond the first order.