On matrix models and their $q$-deformations

Abstract: Motivated by the BPS/CFT correspondence, we explore the similarities between the classical $\beta$-deformed Hermitean matrix model and the $q$-deformed matrix models associated to 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric gauge theories on $D^2\times_{q}S^1$ and $S_b^3$ by matching parameters of the theories. The novel results that we obtain are the correlators for the models, together with an additional result in the classical case consisting of the $W$-algebra representation of the generating function. Furthermore, we also obtain surprisingly simple expressions for the expectation values of characters which generalize previously known results.