Structure of higher order corrections to the Lipatov asymptotic form

Abstract

High orders of perturbation theory can be calculated by the Lipatov method, whereby they are determined by saddle-point configurations, or instantons, of the corresponding functional integrals. For most field theories, the Lipatov asymptotic form has the functional form ca NΓ(N+b) (N is the order of perturbation theory) and the relative corrections to it are series in powers of 1/N. It is shown that this series diverges factorially and its high-order coefficients can be calculated using a procedure similar to the Lipatov one: the Kth expansion coefficient has the form const[ln(S 1/S 0)]−KΓ(K+(r 1− r 0)/2), where S 0 and S 1 are the values of the action for the first and second instantons of this particular field theory, and r 0 and r 1 are the corresponding number of zeroth-order modes; the instantons satisfy the same equation as in the Lipatov method and are assumed to be renumbered in order of their increasing action. This result is universal and is valid in any field theory for which the Lipatov asymptotic form is as specified above.