Abstract
We define the beta-function of a perturbative quantum field theory in the mathematical framework introduced by Costello -- combining perturbative renormalization and the BV formalism -- as the cohomology class of a certain element in the obstruction-deformation complex. We show that the one-loop beta-function is a well-defined element of the local deformation complex for translation-invariant and classically scale-invariant theories, and furthermore that it is locally constant as a function on the space of classical interactions and computable as a rescaling anomaly, or as the logarithmic one-loop counterterm. We compute the one-loop beta-function in first-order Yang--Mills theory, recovering the famous asymptotic freedom for Yang--Mills in a mathematical context.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 246-283 |
Number of pages | 49 |
Journal | Journal of geometry and physics |
Volume | 123 |
Early online date | 19 Sep 2017 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 31 Jan 2018 |