We compute the most general embedding space two-point function in arbitrary Lorentz representations in the context of the recently introduced formalism in arXiv:1905.00036 and arXiv:1905.00434. This work provides a first explicit application of this approach and furnishes a number of checks of the formalism. We project the general embedding space two-point function to position space and find a form consistent with conformal covariance. Several concrete examples are worked out in detail. We also derive constraints on the OPE coefficient matrices appearing in the two-point function, which allow us to impose unitarity conditions on the two-point function coefficients for operators in any Lorentz representations.
We show how to refine conformal block expansion convergence estimates from hep-th/1208.6449. In doing so we find a novel explicit formula for the 3d conformal blocks on the real axis.
In this note we study the possible connection between functions appearing in diagrammatic expansion and the conformal correlator expansion. To study the connection we propose a generating function which can be expanded to construct a basis. This basis can be utilized to expand, I) the four point function of scalars near the Wilson-Fisher fixed point in $d=4-ε$ as in \cite{Alday:2017zzv} and II) integrals for loop diagrams for massless $ϕ^4$ theory in position space in four dimensions. This suggests that a linear combination of one expansion can be recast in terms of a linear combination of the…
The 4D 4-point scattering amplitude of massless scalars via a massive exchange is expressed in a basis of conformal primary particle wavefunctions. This celestial amplitude is expanded in a basis of 2D conformal partial waves on the unitary principal series, and then rewritten as a sum over 2D conformal blocks via contour deformation. The conformal blocks include intermediate exchanges of spinning light-ray states, as well as scalar states with positive integer conformal weights. The conformal block prefactors are found as expected to be quadratic in the celestial OPE coefficients.
We use a compatibility between the conformal symmetry and the equations of motion to solve the one-point function in the critical $ϕ^3$-theory (a.k.a the critical Lee-Yang model) on the $d = 6 - ε$ dimensional real projective space to the first non-trivial order in the $ε$-expansion. It reproduces the conventional perturbation theory and agrees with the numerical conformal bootstrap result.
The extended BMS algebra contains a conformal subgroup that acts on the celestial sphere as SO(3,1). It is of interest to perform mode expansions of free fields in Minkowski spacetime that realize this symmetry in a simple way. In the present work we perform such a mode expansion for massive scalar fields using the unitary principal series representations of SO(3,1) with a view to developing a holographic approach to gravity in asymptotically flat spacetime. These mode expansions are also of use in studying holography in three-dimensional de Sitter spacetime.
We describe several infinite series of rational conformal field theories whose conformal characters are modular units, i.e. which are modular functions having no zeros or poles in the upper complex half plane, and which thus possess simple product expansions. We conjecture that certain infinite series of rational models of Casimir W-algebras always have this property. Furthermore, we describe an algorithm which can be used to prove whether a modular function is a modular unit or not.
We suggest to consider conformal factor dynamics as applying to composite boundstates, in frames of the $1/N$ expansion. In this way, a new model of effective theory for quantum gravity is obtained. The renormalization group (RG) analysis of this model provides a framework to solve the cosmological constant problem, since the value of this constant turns out to be suppressed, as a result of the RG contributions. The effective potential for the conformal factor is found too.
We present a detailed analysis of a scalar conformal four-point function obtained from AdS/CFT correspondence. We study the scalar exchange graphs in AdS and discuss their analytic properties. Using methods of conformal partial wave analysis, we present a general procedure to study conformal four-point functions in terms of exchanges of scalar and tensor fields. The logarithmic terms in the four-point functions are connected to the anomalous dimensions of the exchanged fields. Comparison of the results from AdS graphs with the conformal partial wave analysis, suggests a possible general form f…
A proof of critical conformal invariance of Green's functions for a quite wide class of models possessing critical scale invariance is given. A simple method for establishing critical conformal invariance of a composite operator, which has a certain critical dimension, is also presented. The method is illustrated with the example of the Gross--Neveu model and the exponents \et\ at order $1/n^3$, \Dl\ and $1/ν$ at order $1/n^2$ are calculated with the conformal bootstrap method.
In the SL(2) conformal field theory, we write down and analyze the analytic expression of the three-point functions of generic primary fields with definite SL(2) weights. Using these results, we discuss the operator product expansion in the SL(2,R) WZW model. We propose a prescription of the OPE, the classical limit of which is in precise agreement with the tensor products of the representations of SL(2,R).
We apply the framework of Rychkov-Tan arXiv:1505.00963 to the codimension two twist defect at the Wilson-Fisher fixed point in $4-ε$ dimensions. We obtain the scaling dimensions of the operators on the defect up to the lowest nontrivial order in the $ε$-expansion without using Feynman diagram computation. Our results agree with the known results.
A nontrivial conformally invariant model is obtained via generalization the method of obtaining conformally invariant models in $2D$ Euclidean space to the Euclidean space with dimension $D>2$. This method was previously developed by E.S. Fradkin and M.Ya. Palchik (see [7] and reference therein). The partial wave expansion of a four-point function $\langle j_μ(x_{1})j_ν(x_{2})φ(x_{3})φ(x_{4})\rangle$ containing two conserved vector fields $j_μ$ and two scalars $φ$ of dimension $ d $ in a $D$ -dimensional Euclidean space is considered. The requirement of the absence the vector operator of the d…
We compute the anomalous dimensions of a class of operators of the form $(\barψψ)^p$ and $(\barψψ)^pψ$ to leading order in $ε$ in the Gross-Neveu model in $2+ε$ dimensions. We use the techniques developed in arXiv: 1505.00963.
This paper develops a method to compute any bosonic conformal block as a series expansion in the optimal radial coordinate introduced by Hogervorst and Rychkov. The method reduces to the known result when the external operators are all the same scalar operator, but it allows to compute conformal blocks for external operators with spin. Moreover, we explain how to write closed form recursion relations for the coefficients of the expansions. We study three examples of four point functions in detail: one vector and three scalars; two vectors and two scalars; two spin 2 tensors and two scalars. Fi…
In logarithmic conformal field theory, primary fields come together with logarithmic partner fields on which the stress-energy tensor acts non-diagonally. Exploiting this fact and global conformal invariance of two- and three-point functions, operator product expansions of logarithmic operators in arbitrary rank logarithmic conformal field theory are investigated. Since the precise relationship between logarithmic operators and their primary partners is not yet sufficiently understood in all cases, the derivation of operator product expansion formulae is only possible under certain assumptions…
In the conformal field theories having affine SL(2) symmetry, we study the operator product expansion (OPE) involving primary fields in highest weight representations. For this purpose, we analyze properties of primary fields with definite SL(2) weights, and calculate their two- and three-point functions. Using these correlators, we show that the correct OPE is obtained when one of the primary fields belongs to the degenerate highest weight representation. We briefly comment on the OPE in the SL(2,R) WZNW model.
Global conformal invariance determines the form of two and three-point functions of quasi-primary operators in a conformal field theory, and generates nontrivial relations between terms in the operator product expansion. These ideas are generalized to the principal and complementary series representations, which play an important role in the conjectured dS/CFT correspondence. The conformal partial wave expansions are constructed for these representations which in turn determine the operator product expansion. This leads us to conclude that conformal field theories containing such representatio…
By solving the two variable differential equations which arise from finding the eigenfunctions for the Casimir operator for $O(d,2)$ succinct expressions are found for the functions, conformal partial waves, representing the contribution of an operator of arbitrary scale dimension $Δ$ and spin $\ell$ together with its descendants to conformal four point functions for $d=4$, recovering old results, and also for $d=6$. The results are expressed in terms of ordinary hypergeometric functions of variables $x,z$ which are simply related to the usual conformal invariants. An expression for the confor…
In a recent paper (arXiv:0906.3219) the representation of Nekrasov partition function in terms of nontrivial two-dimensional conformal field theory has been suggested. For non-vanishing value of the deformation parameter ε=ε_1+ε_2 the instanton partition function is identified with a conformal block of Liouville theory with the central charge c = 1+ 6ε^2/ε_1ε_2. If reversed, this observation means that the universal part of conformal blocks, which is the same for all two-dimensional conformal theories with non-degenerate Virasoro representations, possesses a non-trivial decomposition into sum …
Starting from the well-known expression for the trace anomaly we derive the $T\cdot T$ operator product expansion of the energy-momentum tensor in 2D conformal theories defined in the upper halfplane $without$ making use of the additional condition of no energy-momentum flux across the boundary. The OPE turns out to be the same as in the absence of the boundary. For this result it is crucial that the trace anomaly is proportional to the Gauß-Bonnet density. Some relations to the $σ$ - model approach for open strings are discussed.
We study the operator product expansion (OPE) for scalar conformal defects of any codimension in CFT. The OPE for defects is decomposed into "defect OPE blocks", the irreducible representations of the conformal group, each of which packages the contribution from a primary operator and its descendants. We use the shadow formalism to deduce an integral representation of the defect OPE blocks. They are shown to obey a set of constraint equations that can be regarded as equations of motion for a scalar field propagating on the moduli space of the defects. By employing the Radon transform between t…
Various aspects of the four point function for scalar fields in conformally invariant theories are analysed. This depends on an arbitrary function of two conformal invariants u,v. A recurrence relation for the function corresponding to the contribution of an arbitrary spin field in the operator product expansion to the four point function is derived. This is solved explicitly in two and four dimensions in terms of ordinary hypergeometric functions of variables z,x which are simply related to u,v. The operator product expansion analysis is applied to the explicit expressions for the four point …
We introduce a full set of rules to directly express all $M$-point conformal blocks in one- and two-dimensional conformal field theories, irrespective of the topology. The $M$-point conformal blocks are power series expansion in some carefully-chosen conformal cross-ratios. We then prove the rules for any topology constructively with the help of the known position space operator product expansion. To this end, we first compute the action of the position space operator product expansion on the most general function of position space coordinates relevant to conformal field theory. These results …
In this paper we study the constraints imposed by conformal invariance on extended objects a.k.a defects in a conformal field theory. We identify a particularly nice class of defects that is closed under conformal transformations. Correlation function of the defect with a bulk local operator is fixed by conformal invariance up to an overall constant. This gives rise to the notion of defect expansion, where the defect itself is expanded in terms of local operators. This expansion generalizes the idea of the boundary state. We will show how one can fix the correlation function of two defects fro…
We derive and solve the difference equations on the toric modular kernel following from the consistency relations in the fusion algebra. The result is explicit and simple series expansion for the toric modular kernel of non-degenerate Virasoro conformal blocks. We show that this expansion is equivalent to the celebrated integral representation due to B. Ponsot and J. Teschner. We also interpret obtained series representation as a non-perturbative expansion and note that this raises further questions.
We show how to compute conformal blocks of operators in arbitrary Lorentz representations using the formalism described in arXiv:1905.00036 and arXiv:1905.00434, and present several explicit examples of blocks derived via this method. The procedure for obtaining the blocks has been reduced to (1) determining the relevant group theoretic structures and (2) applying appropriate predetermined substitution rules. The most transparent expressions for the blocks we find are expressed in terms of specific substitutions on the Gegenbauer polynomials. In our examples, we study operators which transform…
We show how to construct embedding space three-point functions for operators in arbitrary Lorentz representations by employing the formalism developed in arXiv:1905.00036 and arXiv:1905.00434. We study tensor structures that intertwine the operators with the derivatives in the OPE and examine properties of OPE coefficients under permutations of operators. Several examples are worked out in detail. We point out that the group theoretic objects used in this work can be applied directly to construct three-point functions without any reference to the OPE.
We review the recent developments in the study of conformal field theories in generic space time dimensions using the methods of the conformal bootstrap, in its analytic aspect. These techniques are based solely on symmetries, in particular in the analytic structure and in the associativity of the operator product expansion. We focus on two applications of the analytic conformal bootstrap: the study of the $ε$ expansion of the Wilson Fisher model via the introduction of a dispersion relation and the large $N$ expansion of maximally supersymmetric Super Yang Mills theory in four dimensions.
I study a class of interacting conformal field theories and conformal windows in three dimensions, formulated using the Parisi large-N approach and a modified dimensional-regularization technique. Bosons are associated with composite operators and their propagators are dynamically generated by fermion bubbles. Renormalization-group flows between pairs of interacting fixed points satisfy a set of non-perturbative g <-> 1/g dualities. There is an exact relation between the beta function and the anomalous dimension of the composite boson. Non-Abelian gauge fields have a non-renormalized and quant…
We formally extend the CFT techniques introduced in arXiv:1505.00963, to $ϕ^{\frac{2d_0}{d_0-2}}$ theory in $d=d_0-ε$ dimensions and use it to compute anomalous dimensions near $d_0=3, 4$ in a unified manner. We also do a similar analysis of the $O(N)$ model in three dimensions by developing a recursive combinatorial approach for OPE contractions. Our results match precisely with low loop perturbative computations. Finally, using 3-point correlators in the CFT, we comment on why the $ϕ^3$ theory in $d_0=6$ is qualitatively different.
We present new closed-form expressions for 4-point scalar conformal blocks in the s- and t-channel lightcone expansions. Our formulae apply to intermediate operators of arbitrary spin in general dimensions. For physical spin $\ell$, they are composed of at most $(\ell+1)$ Gaussian hypergeometric functions at each order.
We present a factorized decomposition of 4-point scalar conformal blocks near the lightcone, which applies to arbitrary intermediate spin and general spacetime dimensions. Then we discuss the systematic expansion in large intermediate spin and the resummations of the large-spin tails of Regge trajectories. The basic integrals for the Lorentzian inversion are given by Wilson functions.
The conformal partial wave analysis of four point functions of half BPS operators belonging to the SU(4) [0,p,0] representation is undertaken for p=2,3,4. Using the results of N=4 superconformal Ward identities the contributions from protected short and semi-short multiplets are identified in terms of the free field theory. In the large N limit contributions corresponding to long multiplets with twist up to 2p-2 are absent. The anomalous dimensions for twist two singlet multiplets are found to order g^4 and agree with other perturbative calculations. Results for twist four and six are also fou…
Conformal multiplets of $ϕ$ and $ϕ^3$ recombine at the Wilson-Fisher fixed point, as a consequence of the equations of motion. Using this fact and other constraints from conformal symmetry, we reproduce the lowest nontrivial order results for the anomalous dimensions of operators, without any input from perturbation theory.
Virasoro conformal blocks are fixed in principle by symmetry, but a closed-form expression is unknown in the general case. In this work, we provide three closed-form expansions for the four-point Virasoro blocks on the sphere, for arbitrary operator dimensions and central charge $c$. We do so by solving known recursion relations. One representation is a sum over hypergeometric global blocks, whose coefficients we provide at arbitrary level. Another is a sum over semiclassical Virasoro blocks obtained in the limit in which two external operator dimensions scale linearly with large $c$. In both …
The class of effective actions exactly reproducing the conformal anomaly in 4D is considered. It is demonstrated that the freedom within this class can be fixed by the choice of the conformal gauge. The conformal invariant part of the generic one-loop effective action expanded in the covariant series up to third order in the curvature is rewritten in the new conformal basis. The possible applications of the obtained results are discussed.
Correlators in conformal field theory are naturally organized as a sum over conformal blocks. In holographic theories, this sum must reorganize into a path integral over bulk fields and geometries. We explore how these two sums are related in the case of a point particle moving in the background of a 3d collapsing black hole. The conformal block expansion is recast as a sum over paths of the first-quantized particle moving in the bulk geometry. Off-shell worldlines of the particle correspond to subdominant contributions in the Euclidean conformal block expansion, but these same operators must …
We revisit the computation of instanton effects to various correlation functions in ${\cal N}=4$ SYM and clarify a controversy existing in the literature regarding their consistency with the OPE and conformal symmetry. To check these properties, we examine the conformal partial wave decomposition of four-point correlators involving combinations of half-BPS and Konishi operators and isolate the contribution from the conformal primary scalar operators of twist four. We demonstrate that the leading instanton correction to this contribution is indeed consistent with conformal symmetry and compute …
We study the correspondence between four-dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories and two-dimensional conformal field theories in the case of N=2* gauge theory. We emphasize the genus expansion on the gauge theory side, as obtained via geometric engineering from the topological string. This point of view uncovers modular properties of the one-point conformal block on a torus with complexified intermediate momenta: in the large intermediate weight limit, it is a power series whose coefficients are quasi-modular forms. The all-genus viewpoint that the conformal field theory approach lends to th…
We revisit the familiar construction of one-loop scattering amplitudes via generalized unitarity in light of the recently understood properties of loop integrands prior to their integration. We show how in any four-dimensional quantum field theory, the integrand-level factorization of infrared divergences leads to twice as many constraints on integral coefficients than are visible from the integrated expressions. In the case of planar, maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills amplitudes, we demonstrate that these constraints are both sufficient and necessary to imply the finiteness and dual-conform…
We compute $d$-dimensional scalar six-point conformal blocks in the two possible topologies allowed by the operator product expansion. Our computation is a simple application of the embedding space operator product expansion formalism developed recently. Scalar six-point conformal blocks in the comb channel have been determined not long ago, and we present here the first explicit computation of the scalar six-point conformal blocks in the remaining inequivalent topology. For obvious reason, we dub the other topology the snowflake channel. The scalar conformal blocks, with scalar external and e…
We study the four-gluon scattering amplitude in the high energy limit of QCD written in terms of its conformal expansion. We highlight the need to include both even and odd conformal spin contributions in order to map it to an iterative representation in rapidity and transverse momentum space which we have evaluated numerically. By Fourier expanding in a set of three azimuthal angles, we find a new form for the amplitude in terms of $_4F_3$ hypergeometric functions. An alternative formulation is possible when connecting this Fourier expansion with Bessel kernels studied in analytic number theo…
We discuss the constraints that a conformal field theory should enjoy to admit exactly marginal deformations, i.e. to be part of a conformal manifold. In particular, using tools from conformal perturbation theory, we derive a sum rule from which one can extract restrictions on the spectrum of low spin operators and on the behavior of OPE coefficients involving nearly marginal operators. We then consider conformal field theories admitting a gravity dual description, and as such a large-$N$ expansion. We discuss the relation between conformal perturbation theory and loop expansion in the bulk, a…
We observe that, at beta-deformed matrix models for the four-point conformal block, the point q=0 is the point where the three-Penner type model becomes a pair of decoupled two-Penner type models and where, in the planar limit, (an array of) two-cut eigenvalue distribution(s) coalesce into (that of) one-cut one(s). We treat the Dotsenko-Fateev multiple integral, with their paths under the recent discussion, as perturbed double-Selberg matrix model (at q=0, it becomes a pair of Selberg integrals) to construct two kinds of generating functions for the q-expansion coefficients and compute some. A…
We study string theory duals of the expanding boost invariant conformal gauge theory plasmas at strong coupling. The dual supergravity background is constructed as an asymptotic late-time expansion, corresponding to equilibration of the gauge theory plasma. The absence of curvature singularities in the first few orders of the late-time expansion of the dual gravitational background unambiguously determines the equilibrium equation of the state, and the shear viscosity of the gauge theory plasma. While the absence of the leading pole singularities in the gravitational curvature invariants at th…
We study scattering amplitudes in the shadow conformal primary basis, which satisfies the same defining properties as the original conformal primary basis and has many advantages over it. The shadow celestial amplitudes exhibit locality manifestly on the celestial sphere, and behave like correlation functions in conformal field theory under the operator product expansion (OPE) limit. We study the OPE limits for three-point shadow celestial amplitude, and general $2\to n-2$ shadow celestial amplitudes from a large class of Feynman diagrams. In particular, we compute the conformal block expansio…
We compute the one-loop effective action and the conformal anomaly associated with the product $\bigotimes_p{\cal L}_p$ of the Laplace type operators ${\cal L}_p, p=1,2$, acting in irreducible rank 1 symmetric spaces of non-compact type. The explicit form of the zeta functions and the conformal anomaly of the stress-energy momentum tensor is derived.
We study conformal conserved currents in arbitrary irreducible representations of the Lorentz group using the embedding space formalism. With the help of the operator product expansion, we first show that conservation conditions can be fully investigated by considering only two- and three-point correlation functions. We then find an explicitly conformally-covariant differential operator in embedding space that implements conservation based on the standard position space operator product expansion differential operator $\partial_μ$, although the latter does not uplift to embedding space covaria…
The AGT conjecture identifying conformal blocks with the Nekrasov functions is investigated for the spherical conformal blocks with more than 4 external legs. The diagram technique which arises in conformal block calculation involves propagators and vertices. We evaluated vertices with two Virasoro algebra descendants and explicitly checked the AGT relation up to the third order of the expansion for the 5-point and 6-point conformal blocks on sphere confirming all the predictions of arXiv:0906.3219 relevant in this situation. We propose that U(1)-factor can be extracted from the matrix element…
We develop a method of singularity analysis for conformal graphs which, in particular, is applicable to the holographic image of AdS supergravity theory. It can be used to determine the critical exponents for any such graph in a given channel. These exponents determine the towers of conformal blocks that are exchanged in this channel. We analyze the scalar AdS box graph and show that it has the same critical exponents as the corresponding CFT box graph. Thus pairs of external fields couple to the same exchanged conformal blocks in both theories. This is looked upon as a general structural argu…
We derive conformal blocks in an inverse spacetime dimension expansion. In this large D limit, the blocks are naturally written in terms of a new combination of conformal cross-ratios. We comment on the implications for the conformal bootstrap at large D.
We compute the four point function of scalar fields in AdS$_3$ charged under $U(1)$ Chern-Simons fields using the bulk version of the operator state mapping. Then we show how this four point function is reproduced from a CFT$_2$ with a global $U(1)$ symmetry, through the contribution of the corresponding current operator in the operator product expansion, i.e. through the conformal block of the current operator. We work in a "probe approximation" where the gravitational interactions are ignored, which corresponds to leaving out the energy momentum tensor from the operator product expansion.
We propose a bootstrap program for CFTs near intersecting boundaries which form a co-dimension 2 edge. We describe the kinematical setup and show that bulk 1-pt functions and bulk-edge 2-pt functions depend on a non-trivial cross-ratio and on the angle between the boundaries. Using the boundary OPE (BOE) with respect to each boundary, we derive two independent conformal block expansions for these correlators. The matching of the two BOE expansions leads to a crossing equation. We analytically solve this equation in several simple cases, notably for a free bulk field, where we recover Feynman-d…
We construct an efficient Monte Carlo algorithm that overcomes the severe signal-to-noise ratio problems and helps us to accurately compute the conformal dimensions of large-$Q$ fields at the Wilson-Fisher fixed point in the $O(2)$ universality class. Using it we verify a recent proposal that conformal dimensions of strongly coupled conformal field theories with a global $U(1)$ charge can be obtained via a series expansion in the inverse charge $1/Q$. We find that the conformal dimensions of the lowest operator with a fixed charge $Q$ are almost entirely determined by the first few terms in th…
Convergence of the conformal Ward identity in the derivative expansion approximation
Instituto de Física, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de la República（乌拉圭共和国大学工程学院物理研究所）；Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée, LPTMC（索邦大学法国国家科学研究中心凝聚态物质理论物理实验室）；Instituto de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República（乌拉圭共和国大学理学院物理研究所）
