QFT Summer Study Group:

Renormalized Perturbation Theory

for Pseudoscalar Yukawa Model
Homer Reid
June 8, 2004

Contents
1 Why Renormalize? 1

2 Bare Perturbation Theory 3

3 Renormalized Perturbation Theory 7

4 Calculation of δ3 and δm 9

5 Calculation of δ2 and δM 10

6 Calculation of δg 12

7 Enumerating the Superficially Divergent Amplitudes 14

1 Why Renormalize?
The Lagrangian of pseudoscalar Yukawa theory is
1 2 1  
L= (∂µ φ0 ) − m20 φ20 + ψ 0 i∂
/ − M0 ψ0 − ig0 ψ 0 γ 5 ψ0 φ0 . (1)
2 2
The Feynman rules for this bare Lagrangian are:

i i
= ; = ;
p /p − M0 + i p p2 − m20 + i

= −ig0 γ 5 .

1
Homer Reid: 6/8/2004 QFT Lecture Notes 2

Armed with this Lagrangian, the Feynman rules, and the LSZ reduction
formula, we can compute S-matrix elements for processes like, for example,
fermion-antifermion annihilation into a pseudoscalar:

√
hp| S |k1 , k2 i = Z2 · Z3 ·
C

k1 k2
√
= Z2 · Z 3 · C(m0 , M0 , g0 ; k1 , k2 , p) (2)
where
• Z2 and Z3 are the field-strength renormalizations for the fermion and
pseudoscalar field, and
• C is a correlation function that depends on the external momenta and on
m0 , M0 , and g0 .
The problem with formula (2) is that to get an actual number out of it we
need to know Z2 , Z3 , m0 , M0 , and g0 . We don’t know any of these things. All
we know from experiment are the physical masses and coupling constants.
There are two ways to deal with this last problem:
1. Carry out explicit diagrammatic calculations to obtain expressions for Z 2 ,
Z3 , and the physical quantities m, M , and g in terms of m0 , M0 , and g0 ;
then invert these expressions to obtain expressions for m0 , M0 and g0 in
terms of m, M , and g; then plug the resulting expressions into (2).
2. Rewrite the Lagrangian (1) as a sum of terms containing only the phys-
ical fields, masses, and coupling constants, plus additional counterterms
depending on the field-strength renormalizations and the bare masses and
coupling constants. Then do normal perturbation theory with the coun-
terterms treated as additional interaction terms. This is basically a repa-
rameterization of the unknown quantities Z2 , Z3 , m0 , M0 , and g0 into a
new set of unknown quantities, whose values we determine by demanding
that certain renormalization conditions be satisfied.
Of course, in addition to the fact that we don’t a priori know the field-
strength renormalizations or bare masses and coupling constants, there is also
the little problem that diagrams containing loops come out infinite. In our
case it turns out that this second problem is automatically remedied by the
solution we take to the first problem. But, following Weinberg, we point out
here that even if all diagrams were perfectly convergent we would still have to
renormalize the theory because, in an interacting theory, the bare masses and
coupling strengths are always different from the physical masses and coupling
strengths and from experiment we know only the latter.
Homer Reid: 6/8/2004 QFT Lecture Notes 3

2 Bare Perturbation Theory

To give an example of how we would apply the first approach described above,
let’s compute explicitly the quantities Z3 and m, the mass and field-strength
renormalization of the pseudoscalar field, in terms of m0 , M0 , and g0 .
These quantities are defined by the expression for the exact pseudoscalar
propagator, which we denote by a double line to distinguish it from the free
pseudoscalar propagator:

iZ3
D(p) = = +··· (3)
p p2 − m 2

In other words, the physical mass is the location of the pole in p2 in the exact
propagator, and Z3 is the residue at that pole. To calculate m and Z3 in
terms of m0 , M0 , and g0 we will thus need to calculate the exact pseudoscalar
propagator.

Dyson’s Equation for the Exact Propagator

As we all know, the diagrammatic series for an exact propagator in an interacting
field theory lends itself to a beautiful, if mathematically sketchy, trick —Dyson’s
equation—for summing infinite subsets of the diagrams involved. Let’s review
how Dyson’s equation works. The explicit diagrammatic perturbation series for
D(p) looks like this:

k
= +
p p p p
k−p
k1 k2
p p
+
p
k1 − p k2 − p
k

+
p p
k−p p−k
+···

The first thing to notice is that every diagram after the first contains two
factors of the bare pseudoscalar propagator D(p), so we can factor those out
Homer Reid: 6/8/2004 QFT Lecture Notes 4

and write

=
p p

k

k1 k2
 2 

+ · +
p 

 p
k−p k1 − p k2 − p
k
)
+ + ···

k−p p−k

The next thing to notice is that the thing in brackets is just the sum of all
1PI diagrams, plus two sums-of-all-1PI-diagrams with a factor of D(p) inserted
between them, plus three sums-of-all-1PI-diagrams with two factors of D(p)
inserted, et cetera, so we may write

 2 ( )
= + · 1PI + 1PI 1PI +···
p p

or, in symbols,
( )
h i h i2
D(p) = D0 (p) + D02 (p) 2 2
− iM (p ) + D0 (p) − iM (p ) 2 2
+···
( )
h i h i2
2 2
= D0 (p) 1 + D0 (p) − iM (p ) + D02 (p) − iM (p )2 2
+···

D0 (p)
=
1 − D0 (p) [ − iM 2 (p2 )]
1
=
D0 (p)−1 − [−iM 2 (p2 )]
i
= 2 (4)
p − m20 − M 2 (p2 )
Homer Reid: 6/8/2004 QFT Lecture Notes 5

where

−iM 2 (p2 ) ≡ 1PI

k k

= + +···

k−p k−p p−k

is the sum of all 1PI diagrams.
Comparing equation (4) (which is Dyson’s equation) to equation (3), we can
read off the physical mass and pseudoscalar field-strength renormalization. The
physical mass is the location of the pole in D(p) (considered as a function of
p2 ), and the field-strength renormalization Z3 is the residue at that pole. In
symbols, m is the root of the equation

p2 − m20 − M 2 (p2 ) = 0. (5)

2
Once we have found this root, we can differentiate M and evaluate the deriva-
tive function at p2 = m2 to find Z3 :
!−1
dM 2 

Z3 = 1− . (6)
dp2 p2 =m2

The Pseudoscalar Self-Energy to First Order

The important results of the last section were (5) and (6), which tell us how
to compute the physical mass and field-strength renormalization for the pseu-
doscalar particle. Let’s work this out explicitly to lowest order in g0 .
To lowest order in g0 there is only one diagram contributing to the pseu-
doscalar self-energy:
k

−iM22 (p) =

k−p
d4 k Tr γ 5 i /k + M0 γ 5 i / k−/



p + M0
Z
2
= (−1)(−ig0 )
(2π)4 [k 2 − M02 + i] [(k − p)2 − M02 + i)]

(The factor of -1 comes from the fermion loop.) We can get rid of the γ 5 s in the
numerator by passing the first γ 5 through the first factor in parentheses, which
Homer Reid: 6/8/2004 QFT Lecture Notes 6

flips the sign of /

k:

Tr / k − M0 / k−/



d4 k p + M0
Z
−iM22 (p) = +g02
(2π)4 [k 2 − M02 + i] [(k − p)2 − M02 + i)]
d4 k k · (k − p) − M02
Z
= 4g02
(2π) [k − M0 + i] [(k − p)2 − M02 + i)]
4 2 2

Introduce a Feynman parameter:

1
d4 k k · (k − p) − M02
Z Z
= 4g02 dx
0 (2π)4 [k 2 − 2kxp + xp2 − M02 + i]2

Shift integration variables to l = k − xp and throw out terms of odd order in l

from the numerator:
1
d4 l l2 + x(x − 1)p2 − M02
Z Z
= 4g02 dx (7)
0 (2π)4 [l2 − ∆ + i]2

where
∆ = x(x − 1)p2 + M02 .
To do the integrals in d dimensions, we use the formulae

i Γ 2 − d2


d4 k 1
Z
=
(2π)4 (l2 + ∆)2 (4π)2 ∆(2−d/2)
−i d2 Γ 1 − d2


d4 k l2
Z
= .
(2π)4 (l2 + ∆)2 (4π)2 ∆(1−d/2)

Plugging in to (7),
( )
1 d d i Γ 2 − d



4g02 2Γ 1−
Z h
−iM22 (p) = −i dx 2 2
− x(x − 1)p − M02 2
.
(4π)2 0 ∆(1−d/2) ∆(2−d/2)

To simplify this a little, let’s notice that the factor in square brackets inside the
curly brackets is just ∆ − 2M02 :
( )
2 Z 1 d d i Γ 2 − d


h
4g 0 Γ 1 −
−iM22 (p) = −i dx 2 (1−d/2)2 − ∆ − 2M02 2
(8)
(4π)2 0 ∆ ∆(2−d/2)
Z 1 (d d

)
Γ 2 − d2 d



g02 2Γ 1 − 2 2Γ 2 − 2
= −i 2 dx − (1−d/2) + 2M0 (2−d/2) (9)
4π 0 ∆(1−d/2) ∆ ∆
Z 1 (
)
(d − 1)Γ 1 − d2 d


g02 2Γ 2− 2
= −i 2 dx + 2M0 (2−d/2) . (10)
4π 0 ∆(1−d/2) ∆
Homer Reid: 6/8/2004 QFT Lecture Notes 7

where in going to the last line we used the relation

     
d d d
Γ 2− = 1− Γ 1− .
2 2 2

It is interesting to note that the first term of (10) is just what P&S get for their
calculation of M22 (p) in the original (scalar, not pseudoscalar) Yukawa theory
(P&S equation 10.33), except the sign is reversed. I am wondering if this is
related to some sort of deep fact about chiral symmetry, or if I just made a
mistake somewhere. (Note that P&S page 329 contains some major typos, in
my edition anyway, which you should correct before comparing).
In any event, the point is that with expression (10) and equation (5) we
could find an expression for m in terms of m0 , M0 , and g0 . If we found two
more such equations relating M and g to the bare constants then we could
invert the system of equations to obtain m0 , M0 , and g0 in terms of the physical
parameters and then use these values to get numbers out of equations like (2).
Obviously, this would be an unbelievable hassle, particularly if we were to try
to extend the procedure to higher orders. This motivates the development of
an alternative procedure that is much simpler.

3 Renormalized Perturbation Theory

As we indicated before, the idea of this method is to write the Lagrangian as a
sum of two sets of terms: one set containing only physical masses and coupling
constants, and a second set containing everything else.
First define “physical” fields φ and ψ that are just the “bare fields” with the
field-strength renormalizations divided out:
1
φ = √ · φ0 (11)
Z3
1
ψ = √ · ψ0 (12)
Z2
In terms of the physical fields, the Lagrangian (1) becomes
1 1  
Z3 (∂µ φ)2 − Z3 m20 φ2 + Z2 ψ i∂
p
L= / − M0 ψ − iZ2 Z3 g0 ψγ 5 ψφ
2 2
Now we just split this Lagrangian into two parts:

L = L 1 + L2

where

something that looks exactly like L but with the physical fields,
L1 =
masses, and coupling constant in place of the bare quantities;
Homer Reid: 6/8/2004 QFT Lecture Notes 8

and

L2 = everything in L that isn’t contained in L1 .

To be explicit,

1 2 1  
L1 = (∂µ φ) − m2 φ2 + ψ i∂
/ − M ψ − igψγ 5 ψφ
2 2
and
1  2 1  
L2 = δ3 ∂µ φ − δm φ2 + ψ iδ2 ∂
/ − δM ψ − iδg ψγ 5 ψφ
2 2
where

δ3 = Z 3 − 1 (13)
δm = Z3 m20 −m 2
(14)
δ2 = Z 2 − 1 (15)
δM = Z 2 M0 − M (16)

and
1/2
δg = Z2 Z3 g0 − g. (17)

The Feynman rules corresponding to this rewriting of the Lagrangian are:

i i
= =
p /p − M + i p p2 − m2 + i

= −igγ 5 × = i(p2 δ3 −δm )

× = i(/
pδ2 − δM ) × = −iδg γ 5

The first three rules are the same as the rules we wrote down above for
bare perturbation theory, but with the physical masses and coupling constant
in place of the bare masses. The remaining rules are the counterterms.
We emphasize here that all we have done is to reparameterize the unknown
quantities Z2 , Z3 , m0 , M0 and g0 into the unknown quantities δ2 , δ3 , δm , δM , and
Homer Reid: 6/8/2004 QFT Lecture Notes 9

δg . We don’t know the values of the δ quantities any better than we knew the
bare constants in the Lagrangian. To determine their values, we have to specify
renormalization conditions and adjust the values of the δ constants until these
conditions are met. In the following sections we will demonstrate this explicitly.

4 Calculation of δ3 and δm
The renormalization condition we will use to determine δ3 and δm is that the
exact pseudoscalar propagator, calculated with the renormalized Feynman rules,
have a pole at the physical mass m with residue 1. In symbols, the condition is

i
= +···
p p2 − m 2

Referring back to equations (5) and (6), we can write this condition in terms
of the pseudoscalar self-energy:

M 2 (p2 = m2 ) = 0 (18)

and

dM 2 

= 0. (19)
dp2 p2 =m2

With the renormalized Feynman rules, the self-energy to lowest nonvanishing

order in g is

−iM (p2 ) = 1PI

= + ×

k−p
Z 1 ( d

d

)
g2 (d − 1)Γ 1 − 2 Γ 2−
= −i 2 dx 2
+ 2M 2
+ i(p2 δ3 − δm )
4π 0 [x(x − 1)p2 + M 2 ](1−d/2) [x(x − 1)p2 + M 2 ](2−d/2)

where for the fermion loop we just plugged in the result (10) we obtained before
in bare perturbation theory, substituting M0 → M and g0 → g. Putting p2 =
m2 , condition (18) requires
Homer Reid: 6/8/2004 QFT Lecture Notes 10

( )
1 d d



g2 (d − 1)Γ 1 − Γ 2−
Z
2 2 2 2
m δ3 − δ m = 2 dx + 2M .
4π 0 [x(x − 1)m2 + M ] 2 (1−d/2) [x(x − 1)m2 + M 2 ](2−d/2)

Next, differentiating with respect to p2 , we find that to satisfy (19) we must

take

( )
1 d d



g2 −(d − 1)x(x − 1)Γ 2 − −x(x − 1)Γ 3 −
Z
δ3 = 2
+ 2M 2 2
.
4π 2 0 [x(x − 1)m2 + M 2]
2−d/2
[x(x − 1)m2 + M 2]
3−d/2

5 Calculation of δ2 and δM
The renormalization condition fixing the values of δ2 and δM is that the exact
fermion propagator D(p) have a pole at the physical mass p = M with residue
1, i.e.

i
D(p) = = +···
p /p − M

Exactly as for the pseudoscalar propagator we can write a Dyson’s equation for
the fermion propagator:
i
D(p) =
/p − M − Σ(/p)
where

−iΣ /


p = 1PI

p−k

= + +···
k

is the sum of all irreducible insertions into the fermion propagator. Then the
renormalization conditions are
 
Σ / p=M =0 (20)

dΣ 
= 0. (21)
d/

p
/p=M
Homer Reid: 6/8/2004 QFT Lecture Notes 11

To lowest nonvanishing order, Σ is given by

p−k

−iΣ2 (p) = + × (22)

k

The first diagram here is

p−k
γ5i /k + M γ5i


d4 k
Z
2
= (−ig)
k (2π)4 (k 2 − M 2 )((p − k)2 − m2 )

1
/k − M


d4 k
Z Z
2
= −g dx
0 (2π)4 [k 2 − 2kxp + xp2 − (1 − x)M 2 − xm2 ]2
1
d4 k /l + x/


p−M
Z Z
= −g 2 dx
0 (2π)4 [l2 − ∆]2

(where l = k − xp, ∆ = x(x − 1)p2 + (1 − x)M 2 + xm2 )

d 1
g2Γ 2 −

Z
2 x/
p+M
= −i dx .
(4π)2 0 [x(x − 1)p2 + (1 − x)M 2 + xm2 ]
2−d/2

Plugging into (22), we have

g 2 Γ 2 − d2

Z 1
x/
p+M
−iΣ(/p) = −i dx + i(/
pδ2 −δM ).
(4π)2 0 [x(x − 1)p + (1 − x)M 2 + xm2 ]
2 (2−d/2)

Putting p = M , we find that to satisfy condition (20) we must take

d 1
M g2Γ 2 −

Z
2 x+1
M δ2 − δM = dx .
(4π)2 0 [(x − 1)2 M 2 + xm2 ]
(2−d/2)

Next differentiating, we find that to satisfy condition (21) we must take

( )
d
g2 Γ 2 − 1
2(2 − d2 )x(x2 − 1)M 2

Z
2 x
δ2 = dx −
(4π)2 0 [(x − 1)2 M 2 + xm2 ](2−d/2) [(x − 1)2 M 2 + xm2 ](3−d/2)
Homer Reid: 6/8/2004 QFT Lecture Notes 12

6 Calculation of δg
The renormalization condition fixing the value of δg is that the exact fermion-
fermion-pseudoscalar vertex be coupled with the physical coupling strength g:

= −igγ 5 . (23)

To lowest nontrivial order we have

×
= + + + ···

The renormalization condition (23) is just that the LHS of this equation equal
the first diagram on the RHS, or that the second and third diagrams on the
RHS cancel each other:

×
= − (24)

.
So let’s compute the first vertex correction diagram (omitting factors from the
external fermion and pseudoscalar lines):

p1 p1 − k p2

−igδΓ(q) = k k+q

γ5i / k + M γ5i / k+/ q + M γ5i

d4 k
Z
3
= (−ig)
(2π)4 (k 2 − M 2 )((k + q)2 − M 2 )((p1 − k)2 − m2 )
/k + M /k + /q − M



d4 k
Z
3 5
= −g γ
(2π)4 (k 2 − M 2 )((k + q)2 − M 2 )((p1 − k)2 − m2 )
Z 1 Z 1 Z
/k + M /k + /q − M



d4 k
= −2g 3 γ 5 dx dy
0 0 (2π)4 [k 2 + 2k(xq − yp1 ) + xq 2 + yp21 − (1 − y)M 2 − ym2 ]3
d4 l l2 + x(x + y − 1) − 12 y 2 q 2 + (y 2 − 1)M 2 + M /
Z 1 Z 1 Z  
q
= −2g 3 γ 5 dx dy
(2π) 4
[l 2 − ∆]3
0 0
Homer Reid: 6/8/2004 QFT Lecture Notes 13

where

l = k + xq − yk
∆ = x(x + y − 1)q 2 + (y − 1)2 M 2 + ym2 .

Getting to the last line above required some algebra and the relation p1 · q =
− 21 q 2 , which follows from q = p2 − p1 and the fact that both p1 and p2 are on-
shell. Since this diagram will be sandwiched between u(p2 ) and u(p1 ), we can
neglect the / q term in the numerator since u(p2 )(p/2 − p/1 )u(p1 ) = 0. To proceed
we use the integrals

d4 k 1 −i Γ(3 − d2 )
Z
4 2 3
=
(2π) [l − ∆] 2(4π)2 ∆3−d/2
d4 k l2 i d Γ(2 − d2 )
Z
= .
(2π)4 [l2 − ∆]3 2(4π)2 2 ∆2−d/2

Then
(
1 1 d d
−ig 3 γ 5 2 Γ(2 − 2 )
Z Z
−igδΓ(q) = dx dy
(4π)2 0 0 ∆2−d/2
)
Γ(3 − d2 )
  
1 2 2 2 2
− x(x + y − 1) − y q + (y − 1)M .
2 ∆3−d/2

Putting q = 0 in this expression, equation (24) then tells us that

(
1 1 d d
g3 2 Γ(2 − 2 )
Z Z
δg = − dx dy
(4π)2 0 0 [(y − 1)2 M 2 + ym2 ]2−d/2
)
2 2 Γ(3 − d2 )
−(y − 1)M .
[(y − 1) M 2 + ym2 ]3−d/2
2
Homer Reid: 6/8/2004 QFT Lecture Notes 14

7 Enumerating the Superficially Divergent Am-

plitudes
Simple power-counting in pseudoscalar Yukawa theory yields a determination
of the superficial degree of divergence of a diagram exactly analogous to that in
QED:
3
D = 4 − Nf − N s
2
where Nf is the number of external fermion lines and Ns the number of external
pseudoscalar lines. Every diagram with D ≥ 0 contributes D + 1 divergent
constants to the theory, unless some of these constants vanish by symmetry.
Let’s enumerate the possible diagrams for which D ≥ 0 and figure out how
many divergent constants we have.

Nf Ns Diagram D # of Divergent Constants

0 0 4 0 (unobservable vacuum energy shift)

2 0 1 1 (6= 2 by chiral symmetry? I think?)

0 1 3 0 (vanishes by parity)

0 2 2 3

0 3 2 0 (vanishes by parity)

0 4 0 1

1 2 0 1

Note that the pseudoscalar one-point and three-point functions must vanish,
since otherwise there would be a vacuum expectation value for the quantity
ψγ 5 ψ, which changes sign under parity transformations. I think I have this
right?
Adding up the numbers in the last column, we see that we seem to have
6 divergent constants in the theory, whereas so far we have only defined 5
renormalization parameters (δ2 , δ3 , δm , δM , δg ). So this suggests we need another
parameter somewhere. We get it by adding a term λ4!0 φ4 to the Lagrangian,
which will then give us a sixth renormalization counterterm δλ = λ0 Z32 − λ.

15