Hidden simplicity of gauge theory amplitudes

2010/10/18 by J. M. Drummond
Physics and Astronomy · #Amplitude #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Gauge symmetry #Gauge theory #Homogeneous space #Introduction to gauge theory #M-theory #Mathematical physics #Particle physics #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #Physics #Quantum Chromodynamics and Particle Interactions #Quantum mechanics #Scattering amplitude #Supergravity #Supersymmetric gauge theory #Supersymmetry #Symmetry (geometry) #Theoretical physics #Tree (set theory) #hep-th

paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0264-9381/27/21/214001

published as Class.Quant.Grav.27:214001,2010 · 46 pages, 15 figures. v2 ref added, typos fixed

openalex publication_date 2010/10/18 · arxiv created 2011/01/18 · arxiv updated 2015/03/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

These notes were given as lectures at the CERN Winter School on Supergravity, Strings and Gauge Theory 2010. We describe the structure of scattering amplitudes in gauge theories, focussing on the maximally supersymmetric theory to highlight the hidden symmetries which appear. Using the Britto, Cachzo, Feng and Witten (BCFW) recursion relations we solve the tree-level S -matrix in super Yang–Mills theory and describe how it produces a sum of invariants of a large symmetry algebra. We review amplitudes in the planar theory beyond tree level, describing the connection between amplitudes and Wilson loops, and discuss the implications of the hidden symmetries.

Citations

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