Basis Of Master Integrals Research Articles

Decomposition of Feynman integrals by multivariate intersection numbers

We present a detailed description of the recent idea for a direct decomposition of Feynman integrals onto a basis of master integrals by projections, as well as a direct derivation of the differential equations satisfied by the master integrals, employing multivariate intersection numbers. We discuss a recursive algorithm for the computation of multivariate intersection numbers, and provide three different approaches for a direct decomposition of Feynman integrals, which we dub the straight decomposition, the bottom-up decomposition, and the top-down decomposition. These algorithms exploit the unitarity structure of Feynman integrals by computing intersection numbers supported on cuts, in various orders, thus showing the synthesis of the intersection-theory concepts with unitarity-based methods and integrand decomposition. We perform explicit computations to exemplify all of these approaches applied to Feynman integrals, paving a way towards potential applications to generic multi-loop integrals.

Resummation methods for Master Integrals

We present in detail two resummation methods emerging from the application of the Simplified Differential Equations approach to a canonical basis of master integrals. The first one is a method which allows for an easy determination of the boundary conditions, since it finds relations between the boundaries of the basis elements and the second one indicates how using the x → 1 limit to the solutions of a canonical basis, one can obtain the solutions to a canonical basis for the same problem with one mass less. Both methods utilise the residue matrices for the letters {0, 1} of the canonical differential equation. As proof of concept, we apply these methods to a canonical basis for the three-loop ladder-box with one external mass off-shell, obtaining subsequently a canonical basis for the massless three-loop ladder-box as well as its solution.

Constructing d-log integrands and computing master integrals for three-loop four-particle scattering

We compute all master integrals for massless three-loop four-particle scattering amplitudes required for processes like di-jet or di-photon production at the LHC. We present our result in terms of a Laurent expansion of the integrals in the dimensional regulator up to 8th power, with coefficients expressed in terms of harmonic polylogarithms. As a basis of master integrals we choose integrals with integrands that only have logarithmic poles — called dlog forms. This choice greatly facilitates the subsequent computation via the method of differential equations. We detail how this basis is obtained via an improved algorithm originally developed by one of the authors. We provide a public implementation of this algorithm. We explain how the algorithm is naturally applied in the context of unitarity. In addition, we classify our dlog forms according to their soft and collinear properties.

A numerical evaluation of planar two-loop helicity amplitudes for a W-boson plus four partons

We present the first numerical results for the two-loop helicity amplitudes for the scattering of four partons and a W-boson in QCD. We use a finite field sampling method to reduce directly from Feynman diagrams to the coefficients of a set of master integrals after applying integration-by-parts identities. Since the basis of master integrals is not yet fully known analytically, we identify a set of master integrals with a simple divergence structure using local numerator insertions. This allows for accurate numerical evaluation of the amplitude using sector decomposition methods.

Decomposition of Feynman integrals on the maximal cut by intersection numbers

We elaborate on the recent idea of a direct decomposition of Feynman integrals onto a basis of master integrals on maximal cuts using intersection numbers. We begin by showing an application of the method to the derivation of contiguity relations for special functions, such as the Euler beta function, the Gauss 2F1 hypergeometric function, and the Appell F1 function. Then, we apply the new method to decompose Feynman integrals whose maximal cuts admit 1-form integral representations, including examples that have from two to an arbitrary number of loops, and/or from zero to an arbitrary number of legs. Direct constructions of differential equations and dimensional recurrence relations for Feynman integrals are also discussed. We present two novel approaches to decomposition-by-intersections in cases where the maximal cuts admit a 2-form integral representation, with a view towards the extension of the formalism to n-form representations. The decomposition formulae computed through the use of intersection numbers are directly verified to agree with the ones obtained using integration-by-parts identities.

Two-loop planar master integrals for Higgs → 3 partons with full heavy-quark mass dependence

We present the analytic computation of all the planar master integrals which contribute to the two-loop scattering amplitudes for Higgs$\to 3$ partons, with full heavy-quark mass dependence. These are relevant for the NNLO corrections to fully inclusive Higgs production and to the NLO corrections to Higgs production in association with a jet, in the full theory. The computation is performed using the differential equations method. Whenever possible, a basis of master integrals that are pure functions of uniform weight is used. The result is expressed in terms of one-fold integrals of polylogarithms and elementary functions up to transcendental weight four. Two integral sectors are expressed in terms of elliptic functions. We show that by introducing a one-dimensional parametrization of the integrals the relevant second order differential equation can be readily solved, and the solution can be expressed to all orders of the dimensional regularization parameter in terms of iterated integrals over elliptic kernels. We express the result for the elliptic sectors in terms of two and three-fold iterated integrals, which we find suitable for numerical evaluations. This is the first time that four-point multiscale Feynman integrals have been computed in a fully analytic way in terms of elliptic functions.

Integration by parts identities in integer numbers of dimensions. A criterion for decoupling systems of differential equations

Integration by parts identities (IBPs) can be used to express large numbers of apparently different d-dimensional Feynman Integrals in terms of a small subset of so-called master integrals (MIs). Using the IBPs one can moreover show that the MIs fulfil linear systems of coupled differential equations in the external invariants. With the increase in number of loops and external legs, one is left in general with an increasing number of MIs and consequently also with an increasing number of coupled differential equations, which can turn out to be very difficult to solve. In this paper we show how studying the IBPs in fixed integer numbers of dimension d=n with n∈N one can extract the information useful to determine a new basis of MIs, whose differential equations decouple as d→n and can therefore be more easily solved as Laurent expansion in (d−n).

Uniqueness of two-loop master contours

Abstract Generalized-unitarity calculations of two-loop amplitudes are performed by expanding the amplitude in a basis of master integrals and then determining the coefficients by taking a number of generalized cuts. In this paper, we present a complete classification of the solutions to the maximal cut of integrals with the double-box topology. The ideas presented here are expected to be relevant for all two-loop topologies as well. We find that these maximal-cut solutions are naturally associated with Riemann surfaces whose topology is determined by the number of states at the vertices of the double-box graph. In the case of four massless external momenta we find that, once the geometry of these Riemann surfaces is properly understood, there are uniquely defined master contours producing the coefficients of the double-box integrals in the basis decomposition of the two-loop amplitude. This is in perfect analogy with the situation in one-loop generalized unitarity. In addition, we point out that the chiral integrals recently introduced by Arkani-Hamed et al. can be used as master integrals for the double-box contributions to the two-loop amplitudes in any gauge theory. The infrared finiteness of these integrals allow for their coefficients as well as their integrated expressions to be evaluated in strictly four dimensions, providing significant technical simplification. We evaluate these integrals at four points and obtain remarkably compact results.