We discuss a hydrodynamical description of the eigenvalues of the Polyakov line at large but finite class="mathmlsrc">class="formulatext stixSupport mathImg" data-mathURL="/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_eid=1-s2.0-S0370269315009429&_mathId=si1.gif&_user=111111111&_pii=S0370269315009429&_rdoc=1&_issn=03702693&md5=7aaed5f9f0e79063417ae57189443610" title="Click to view the MathML source">Ncclass="mathContainer hidden">class="mathCode"> for Yang–Mills theory in even and odd space-time dimensions. The hydro-static solutions for the eigenvalue densities are shown to interpolate between a uniform distribution in the confined phase and a localized distribution in the de-confined phase. The resulting critical temperatures are in overall agreement with those measured on the lattice over a broad range of class="mathmlsrc">class="formulatext stixSupport mathImg" data-mathURL="/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_eid=1-s2.0-S0370269315009429&_mathId=si1.gif&_user=111111111&_pii=S0370269315009429&_rdoc=1&_issn=03702693&md5=7aaed5f9f0e79063417ae57189443610" title="Click to view the MathML source">Ncclass="mathContainer hidden">class="mathCode">, and are consistent with the string model results at class="mathmlsrc">class="formulatext stixSupport mathImg" data-mathURL="/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_eid=1-s2.0-S0370269315009429&_mathId=si2.gif&_user=111111111&_pii=S0370269315009429&_rdoc=1&_issn=03702693&md5=fb94b48d0f53a9da19abcabbe95000d6" title="Click to view the MathML source">Nc=∞class="mathContainer hidden">class="mathCode">. The stochastic relaxation of the eigenvalues of the Polyakov line out of equilibrium is captured by a hydrodynamical instanton. An estimate of the probability of formation of a class="mathmlsrc">class="formulatext stixSupport mathImg" data-mathURL="/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_eid=1-s2.0-S0370269315009429&_mathId=si3.gif&_user=111111111&_pii=S0370269315009429&_rdoc=1&_issn=03702693&md5=a180bae84d8e9d45e3a26b84a0b984b4" title="Click to view the MathML source">Z(Nc)class="mathContainer hidden">class="mathCode"> bubble using a piece-wise sound wave is suggested.