Graphical functions and single-valued multiple polylogarithms

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Publication:2340911



Abstract: Graphical functions are single-valued complex functions which arise from Feynman amplitudes. We study their properties and use their connection to multiple polylogarithms to calculate Feynman periods. For the zig-zag and two more families of phi^4 periods we give exact results modulo products. These periods are proved to be expressible as integer linear combinations of single-valued multiple polylogarithms evaluated at one. For the larger family of 'constructible' graphs we give an algorithm that allows one to calculate their periods by computer algebra. The theory of graphical functions is used to prove the zig-zag conjecture.


From the introduction of the paper: ``In four-dimensional \(\Phi^4\) theory the period map assigns positive real numbers to 4-regular internally 6-connected graphs. The periods determine the contributions of primitive logarithmically divergent graphs to the beta function of the underlying quantum field theory. Until 2012, all known \(\Phi^4\) periods were multiple zeta values, i.e., rational linear combinations of special values of multiple zeta function: \[ \zeta(n_1,\ldots,n_r):=\sum_{1\leq k_r<k_{r-1}<\ldots<k_1}\frac{1}{k_1^{n_1}k_2^{n_2}\cdots k_r^{n_r}} \] with \(k_i,n_i\) naturals with \(n_1\geq 2\), but at the present these periods will include more general special values. A natural graph in this subject is \(Z_n\), the zig-zag graph with \(n\)-slopes, where there is the famous conjecture which relate its period (up to a rational) to the special value of the Riemann zeta function \(\zeta(s)\) at \(s=2n-3\). In the paper under review, the author constructed the theory of graphical functions which are single-valued complex functions which arise from Feynman amplitudes and obtain their connection with multiple polylogarithms, in order to compute \(\Phi^4\) periods. This theory is applied in the paper under review into some families of \(\Phi^4\) graphs (including the zig-zag graph family \(Z_n\)) and computes the period modulo \(\mathcal{H}^2_{>0}\), (where \(\mathcal{H}^2_{>0}\) denotes the \(\mathbb{Q}\)-vector space spanned by non-trivial products of multiple zeta values (MZV)). In particular, the author, in the paper under review, proves the zig-zag conjecture modulo \(\mathcal{H}^2_{>0}\). The author uses a key result of \textit{D. Zagier} [Ann. Math. (2) 175, No. 2, 977--1000 (2012; Zbl 1268.11121)], which relates certain expressions of MZV at specific special value to the special value of \(\zeta(s)\) at \(s=2n+1\). Moreover, the results on the theory of graphical functions developed in the paper under review, allows \textit{F. Brown} and the author in [``Proof of the zig-zag conjecture, Preprint, \url{arXiv:1208.1890}] to prove zig-zag conjecture in generality. The author obtains in an algorithmic way the constructible periods by certain constructible families of \(\Phi^4\) graphs, in the paper under review, (which always are related their periods with MZV modulo \(\mathcal{H}^2_{>0}\)). In 2015, the source in Maple of the algorithm is available on tools in the web page of the group of Prof. Dr. Dirk Kreimer.




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