What can we learn about quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and collider physics from the research in supersymmetric toy models of Yang-Mills theory? This is discussed by Johannes Henn in a recent article published in the Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science.

Johannes Henn answers the question from above by surveying highlights of recent results and of remarkable developments in the maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. The latter is a close cousin of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the theory at the heart of the Standard Model of elementary particle physics. QCD calculations are crucial to make best use of the data collected in experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.  

For this reason, tremendous theory efforts are dedicated to developing new methods for QCD calculations. The review gives a fresh perspective on what is possible in a four-dimensional Yang-Mills theory, presenting examples of surprising or unusual ways to approach problems in quantum field theory. The examples include all-order results for certain scattering amplitudes, as well as novel symmetries, surprising geometrical structures, novel tools for the calculation of Feynman integrals and bootstrap methods.