From Painlevé equations to ${\cal N}=2$ susy gauge theories: prolegomena

Abstract: We study the linear problems in $z,t$ (time) associated to the Painlev\'e III$_3$ and III$_1$ equations when the Painlev\'e solution $q(t)$ approaches a pole or a zero. In this limit the problem in $z$ for the Painlev\'e III$_3$ reduces to the modified Mathieu equation, while that for the Painlev\'e III$_1$ to the Doubly Confluent Heun Equation. These equations appear as Nekrasov-Shatashvili quantisations/deformations of Seiberg-Witten differentials for $SU(2)$ ${\cal N}=2$ super Yang-Mills gauge theory with number of flavours $N_f=0$ and $N_f=2$, respectively. These results allow us to conjecture that this link holds for any Painlev\'e equation relating each of them to a different matter theory, which is actually the same as in the well-established Painlev\'e gauge correspondence, but {\it with another deformation ($\Omega$-background)}. An explicit expression for the dual gauge period (and then prepotential) is also found. As a by-product, a new solution to the connexion problem is illustrated.