Shift versus Extension in Refined Partition Functions

Abstract: We have recently shown that the global behavior of the partition function of N=2 gauge theory in the general Omega-background is captured by special geometry in the guise of the (extended) holomorphic anomaly equation. We here analyze the fate of our results under the shift of the mass parameters of the gauge theory. The preferred value of the shift, noted previously in other contexts, restores the Z_2 symmetry of the instanton partition function under inversion of the Omega-background, and removes the extension. We comment on various connections.