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arXiv · 1201.5366

Simplifying Multiloop Integrands and Ultraviolet Divergences of Gauge Theory and Gravity Amplitudes

Abstract

We use the duality between color and kinematics to simplify the construction of the complete four-loop four-point amplitude of N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory, including the nonplanar contributions. The duality completely determines the amplitude's integrand in terms of just two planar graphs. The existence of a manifestly dual gauge-theory amplitude trivializes the construction of the corresponding N=8 supergravity integrand, whose graph numerators are double copies (squares) of the N=4 super-Yang-Mills numerators. The success of this procedure provides further nontrivial evidence that the duality and double-copy properties hold at loop level. The new form of the four-loop four-point supergravity amplitude makes manifest the same ultraviolet power counting as the corresponding N=4 super-Yang-Mills amplitude. We determine the amplitude's ultraviolet pole in the critical dimension of D=11/2, the same dimension as for N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory. Strikingly, exactly the same combination of vacuum integrals (after simplification) describes the ultraviolet divergence of N=8 supergravity as the subleading-in-1/N_c^2 single-trace divergence in N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory.

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Z. Bern, J. J. M. Carrasco, L. J. Dixon, H. Johansson, R. Roiban. 2012-10-16. Simplifying Multiloop Integrands and Ultraviolet Divergences of Gauge Theory and Gravity Amplitudes. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.85.105014

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