New Results on the "a-theorem" in Four Dimensional Supersymmetric Field Theory

2003/12/09 by David Kutasov, D. Kutasov, Kutasov, D.
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Algebra and Geometry #Algebraic structures and combinatorial models #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #FOS: Physical sciences #High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th) #hep-th

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.hep-th/0312098

28 pages; harvmac

arxiv created 2003/12/09 · openalex publication_date 2003/12/09 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

In four dimensional N=1 supersymmetric field theory it is often the case that the U(1)_R current that becomes part of the superconformal algebra at the infrared fixed point is conserved throughout the renormalization group (RG) flow. We show that when that happens, the central charge a decreases under RG flow. The main tool we employ is an extension of recent ideas on ``a-maximization'' away from fixed points of the RG. This extension is useful more generally in studying RG flows in supersymmetric theories.

Citations

• On the c-theorem in more than two dimensions

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