Microscopic Spectra of Dirac Operators and Finite-Volume Partition Functions

Exact results from random matrix theory are used to systematically analyse the relationship between microscopic Dirac spectra and finite-volume partition functions. Results are presented for the unitary ensemble, and the chiral analogs of the three classical matrix ensembles: unitary, orthogonal and symplectic, all of which describe universality classes of $SU(N_c)$ gauge theories with $N_f$ fermions in different representations. Random matrix theory universality is reconsidered in this new light.