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arXiv · 2512.23795

Correlators are simpler than wavefunctions

Nima Arkani-Hamed·Ross Glew·Francisco Vazão
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Abstract

Recent works reveal a simplicity in equal-time correlators absent from wavefunctions. We show that it follows from the fact that correlators are full spacetime integrals, rather than half-spacetime integrals as for the wavefunction. This makes striking properties manifest: some wavefunction singularities are absent, factorization simplifies, and around every pole the Laurent expansion has vanishing first subleading term. Near the total-energy pole, the expansion to second order is generated by a differential operator on scattering amplitudes.

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Nima Arkani-Hamed, Ross Glew, Francisco Vazão. 2025-12-29. Correlators are simpler than wavefunctions. https://doi.org/10.1103/sgm7-181s

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