Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Yi-Xiao Tao

Publications and source records attributed to Yi-Xiao Tao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

All-multiplicity monodromy and KLT relations for AdS string integrals

We propose and study all-multiplicity building blocks for tree-level string amplitudes in AdS. These are worldsheet integrals obtained by dressing the corresponding flat-space disc and sphere integrals with multivariable multiple polylogarithms and their single-valued analogues, respectively. We derive monodromy relations for the open-string building blocks and a KLT factorisation for their closed-string counterparts. This extends the non-commutative AdS uplift of lower-point flat-space structures to general $n$-point kinematics.

hep-th↗

Off-shell recursion for all-loop planar integrands in Yang-Mills theory

In this paper, we develop in detail the off-shell recursion for planar loop integrands in Yang-Mills theory. Starting from the classical equations of motion solved with the perturbiner method, we derive an exact transfer-matrix representation of the pure-gluon sector. We then include the ghost contributions to the loop kernels based on \cite{Tao:2025fch}. Finally, as an example, we work out the two-loop recursion in detail and conclude a general recursion strategy for two-loop planar integrands whose external legs are gluons.

hep-th↗

Mass-Flow Invariance of $Q$-Cohomology in BMN Matrix Quantum Mechanics

We study the dependence of the dynamical supercharges of BMN matrix quantum mechanics on the mass parameter $μ$. Taking the $μ$-derivative at fixed canonical matrix variables, we show that the sixteen-component supercharge evolves by the adjoint action of a Hermitian quadratic bosonic operator $\mathcal{K}$, together with the spinor-space factor $iγ^{123}$. After projection to a $γ^{123}$-eigenspace, this flow integrates to a finite similarity transformation. For the nilpotent component $Q(μ)=\mathcal Q^4_-(μ)$, one obtains $Q(μ)=M(μ,μ_0)Q(μ_0)M(μ,μ_0)^{-1}$, giving an algebraic mass-flow non-renormalization statement for the $Q$-cohomology. The corresponding Hilbert-space statement has an analytic qualification, parallel to Witten's argument for supersymmetric quantum mechanics: $M$ is non-unitary and unbounded, so its action on the normalizable domain must be controlled. We formulate a small-step criterion by comparing the quadratic growth of $M$ with the Gaussian falloff of BMN oscillator wavefunctions within each component $μ>0$ or $μ<0$. As a concrete check, we evaluate this condition in the $N=2$ theory, whose two vacuum sectors are built on the trivial vacuum and the irreducible fuzzy-sphere vacuum. We also compute the induced $Q_{\rm BPS}$-action on the corresponding BPS letters: in the trivial sector it agrees with the standard BMN-sector BPS-letter differential of $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM, while in the irreducible sector it vanishes.

hep-th↗

The bi-adjoint scalar $\ell$-loop planar integrand recursion and graded inverse variables

Previously in \cite{Tao:2025fch}, we constructed the $\ell$-loop planar integrands using loop components and loop kernels by some recursion rules. In this paper, we propose a new formalism to express the loop kernel recursion. We define ``graded inverse variables" to make the loop kernel recursion more elegant. And the graph factor, including the symmetry factor, can be figured out from each monomial of some variables. This new formalism makes the previous $\ell$-loop integrand recursion clearer.

hep-th↗

Systematic approach to $\ell$-loop planar integrands from the classical equation of motion

In this paper, we present a recursive method for $\ell$-loop planar integrands in colored quantum field theories. We start with the classical equation of motion and then pick out the comb component, which will help us to define the loop kernels. Then we construct the $\ell$-loop integrands based on some recursion rules for the $\ell$-loop kernels. Finally, we reach a recursion formula for the $\ell$-loop planar integrands. Our method can be easily generalized to general quantum field theories, even non-Lagrangian theories, to obtain the planar part of the whole $\ell$-loop integrands.

hep-th↗

Loop integrals in de Sitter spacetime: The parity-split IBP system and $\mathrm{d}\log$-form differential equations

We develop integration-by-parts (IBP) reduction and differential equations for massive loop integrals of cosmological correlators in de Sitter (dS) spacetime, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach. We identify a structural property of the dS IBP system: for an $n$-propagator family, it splits into $2^n$ closed subsystems classified by the parity of the propagator indices. We further formulate a Baikov representation for loop integrals in dS space and derive the corresponding dimensional recurrence relations. In flat spacetime, intersection theory shows that $\mathrm{d}\log$-form master integrands lead to $\mathrm{d}\log$-form differential equations. Motivated by fibration intersection theory, we conjecture that this construction extends to dS integrands involving Hankel functions. We verify this conjecture in the one-loop bubble family and determine the associated alphabet.

hep-th↗

Manifest Moebius invariance of massive tree-level three-point amplitudes in pure spinor superspace

Using BRST cohomology properties in pure spinor superspace and identities for OPE brackets of non-free fields, we obtain a new compact nested-bracket representation of massive tree-level three-point open-string amplitudes in which Moebius invariance is manifest. Explicit superspace calculations for amplitudes with level-one massive states confirm this finding, and we derive new BRST recurrence relations among three-point numerators to extend the result to arbitrary mass levels. This provides a manifestly Moebius-invariant expression for massive three-point amplitudes in the pure spinor formalism.

hep-th↗

Elliptic modular graph forms, equivariant iterated integrals and single-valued elliptic polylogarithms

The low-energy expansion of genus-one string amplitudes produces infinite families of non-holomorphic modular forms after each step of integrating over a point on the torus worldsheet which are known as elliptic modular graph forms (eMGFs). We solve the differential equations of eMGFs depending on a single point $z$ and the modular parameter $τ$ via iterated integrals over holomorphic modular forms which individually transform inhomogeneously under ${\rm SL}_2(\mathbb Z)$. Suitable generating series of these iterated integrals over $τ$, their complex conjugates and single-valued multiple zeta values (svMZVs) are combined to attain equivariant transformations under ${\rm SL}_2(\mathbb Z)$ such that their components are modular forms. Our generating series of equivariant iterated integrals for eMGFs is related to elliptic multiple polylogarithms (eMPLs) through a gauge transform of the flat Calaque-Enriquez-Etingof connection. By converting iterated $τ$-integrals to iterated integrals over points on a torus, we arrive at an explicit construction of single-valued eMPLs where all the monodromies in the points cancel. Each single-valued eMPL depending on a single point $z$ is found to be a finite combination of meromorphic eMPLs, their complex conjugates, svMZVs and equivariant iterated Eisenstein integrals. Our generating series determines the latter two admixtures via so-called zeta generators and Tsunogai derivations which act on the two generators $x$, $y$ of a free Lie algebra and where the coefficients of words in $x,y$ define the single-valued eMPLs.

hep-th↗

The Aharony-Bergman-Jafferis-Maldacena theory on a circle

In this work, we bootstrap the 4-point correlators on the 1D celestial circle using 3D symmetries in the Aharony-Bergman-Jafferis-Maldacena theory as constraints. We find that the dual inversion property is strong enough to replace the crossing symmetry condition (or cyclic invariant condition) when bootstrapping. We also give some results about the conformal block expansion coefficients which contain the spectrum. Furthermore, we extract the OPE spectrum from the multi-collinear limit since all 3-point ABJM amplitudes vanish. Although we studied a specific theory, the methods used are valid for more general cases.

hep-th↗

Notes on flat-space limit of holographic defect correlators in position space

We study the large AdS radius limit of correlation functions in holographic defect CFTs. For two-point functions of operators inserted away from the defect, we derive a position space formula relating a certain scaling limit of the correlators to the flat-space scattering form factors. We show that our position space prescription is equivalent to the flat-space limit formula recently conjectured in Mellin space and also test our result in a few nontrivial theories.

hep-th↗

The off-shell expansion relation of the Yang-Mills scalar theory

In this work, we investigated the off-shell expansion relation of the Yang-Mills scalar theory. We explicitly showed that the single-trace Berends-Giele currents in the Yang-Mills scalar theory can be decomposed into a term expressed by a linear combination of bi-adjoint scalar Berends-Giele currents and one that vanishes under the on-shell limit. We proved that the bi-adjoint scalar currents, as well as the corresponding coefficients, can be characterized by a graphic approach that was originally studied in Einstein-Yang-Mills expansion. Furthermore, we generalized the decomposition to the multi-trace case through unifying relations and established the connection both in single-trace and multi-trace graphic descriptions. Finally, we established the relations between the Yang-Mills currents and the single-trace Yang-Mills scalar currents choosing special reference orders of the Yang-Mills graphs.

hep-th↗

Multivariate hypergeometric solutions of cosmological (dS) correlators by $\text{d} \log$-form differential equations

In this paper, we give the analytic expression for the homogeneous part of solutions of arbitrary tree-level cosmological correlators, including massive propagators and time-derivative interaction cases. The solutions are given in the form of multivariate hypergeometric functions. It is achieved by two steps. Firstly, we indicate the factorization of the homogeneous part of solutions, i.e., the homogeneous part of solutions of multiple vertices is the product of the solutions of the single vertex. Secondly, we give the solution to the $\text{d} \log$-form differential equations of arbitrary single vertex integral family. We also show how to determine the boundary conditions for the differential equations. There are two techniques we developed for the computation. Firstly, we analytically solve $\text{d} \log$-form differential equations via power series expansion. Secondly, we handle degenerate multivariate poles in power series expansion of differential equations by blow-up. They could also be useful in the evaluation of multi-loop Feynman integrals in flat spacetime.

hep-th↗

Celestial self-dual Yang-Mills theory: a new formula and the OPE limit

Celestial holography is a new way to understand flat-space amplitudes. Self-dual theories, due to their nice properties, are good subjects to study celestial holography. In this paper, we developed a new formula to calculate the celestial color-ordered self-dual Yang-Mills amplitudes based on celestial Berends-Giele currents, which makes the leading OPE limit manifest. In addition, we explore some higher-order terms of OPE in the celestial self-dual Yang-Mills theory.

hep-th↗

Berends-Giele currents for extended gravity

In this short paper, we write down the Berends-Giele (BG) currents for extended gravity explicitly and discuss the unifying relations of these BG currents. This new tool, different from the double field theory current formally, may deepen our understanding of the current Kawai-Lewellen-Tye (KLT) relation.

hep-th↗

Notes on weight-shifting operators and unifying relations for cosmological correlators

We seek the inverse formulas for the cosmological unifying relation between gluons and conformally coupled scalars. We demonstrate that the weight-shifting operators derived from the conformal symmetry at the dS late-time boundary can serve as the inverse operators for the 3-point cosmological correlators. However, in the case of the 4-point cosmological correlator, we observe that the inverse of the unifying relation cannot be constructed from the weight-shifting operators. Despite this failure, we are inspired to propose a "weight-shifting uplifting" method for the 4-point gluon correlator.

hep-th↗

Celestial Berends-Giele current

Celestial amplitude plays an important role in the understanding of holography. Computing celestial amplitudes by recursion can deepen our understanding of the structure of celestial amplitudes. As an important recursion method, the Berends-Giele (BG) currents on the celestial sphere are worth studying. In this paper, we study the celestial BG recursion and utilize this to calculate some typical examples. We also explore the OPE behavior of celestial BG currents. Moreover, we generalize the "sewing procedure" for BG currents to the celestial case.

hep-th↗

A Type of Unifying Relation in (A)dS Spacetime

Unifying relations of amplitudes are elegant results in flat spacetime, but the research on these in (A)dS case is not very rich. In this paper, we discuss a type of unifying relations in (A)dS by using Berends-Giele currents. By taking the flat limit, we also get a semi-on-shell way to prove the unifying relations in the flat case. We also discuss the applications of our results in cosmology.

hep-th↗