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Accepted · first revision · record

Title: Intrinsic definition of the six-dimensional (2,0) theory
Plain: The six-dimensional $(2,0)$ theory, the version with the maximum amount of supersymmetry, is defined only as a limit of a stack of M5-branes, membrane-like objects of M-theory. A definition that stands on its own is missing.
Precise: The 6D $N=(2,0)$ superconformal theory of type $A_{N-1}$ is defined as the low-energy limit of N coincident M5-branes or of type IIB string theory on $C^2/Z_N$. Give a self-contained definition independent of string and M-theory (operator algebra and Hilbert space, a UV completion via 5D maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills, deconstruction, or a lattice limit) that reproduces known data: anomaly coefficients scaling as $N^3$, the $W_N$ chiral algebra, and the protected spectrum.
Settled by: A construction from which the $N^{3}$ anomaly scaling and the $W_N$ chiral algebra follow as derived results.
Kind: phenomenon
Answer type: identification
References: (empty)
Literature status: open
Status note: Proposals that 5D maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills is a complete definition (2010-2011) and deconstruction approaches are not accepted as complete.
Posed since: 1995