A remark on the AdS/CFT correspondence and the renormalization group flow

The correspondence between the four-dimensional SU(N), N = 4 SYM taken at large N and the type II B SUGRA on the AdS(5) x S-5 background is considered. We argue that the classical equations of motion in the SUGRA picture can be interpreted as that of the renormalization group on the SYM side. In fact, when the D3-brane is slightly excited higher derivative terms in the field theory on its world-volume deform it form the conformal N = 4 SYM limit. We give arguments in favor of that the deformation goes in the way set by the SUGRA equations of motion. Concrete example of the s-wave dilaton is considered. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.