THE EFFECTIVE PREPOTENTIAL OF N=2 SUPERSYMMETRIC SU(N-C) GAUGE-THEORIES

We determine the effective prepotential for N = 2 supersymmetric SU(N- c) gauge theories with an arbitrary number of flavors N-f < 2N(c), fro m the exact solution constructed out of spectral curves. The prepotent ial is the same for the several models of spectral curves proposed in the literature, It has to all orders the logarithmic singularities of the one-loop perturbative corrections, thus confirming the non-renorma lization theorems from supersymmetry. In particular, the renormalized order parameters and their duals have all the correct monodromy transf ormations prescribed at weak coupling. We evaluate explicitly the cont ributions of 1- and 2-instanton processes. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B .V.