Three-point functions in N=4{\cal N}=4 SYM: the hexagon proposal at three loops

Basso, Komatsu and Vieira recently proposed an all-loop framework for the computation of three-point functions of single-trace operators of ${\cal N}=4$ super-Yang-Mills, the "hexagon program". This proposal results in several remarkable predictions, including the three-point function of two protected operators with an unprotected one in the $SU(2)$ and $SL(2)$ sectors. Such predictions consist of an "asymptotic" part---similar in spirit to the asymptotic Bethe Ansatz of Beisert and Staudacher for two-point functions---as well as additional finite-size "wrapping" L\"uscher-like corrections. The focus of this paper is on such wrapping corrections, which we compute at three-loops in the $SL(2)$ sector. The resulting structure constants perfectly match the ones obtained in the literature from four-point correlators of protected operators.Comment: 18 pages, 3 tables; v2: note added, ref. added, (some) misprints corrected; v3: more ref. added, more misprints correcte

Tessellating cushions: four-point functions in N=4 SYM

We consider a class of planar tree-level four-point functions in N=4 SYM in a special kinematic regime: one BMN operator with two scalar excitations and three half-BPS operators are put onto a line in configuration space; additionally, for the half-BPS operators a co-moving frame is chosen in flavour space. In configuration space, the four-punctured sphere is naturally triangulated by tree-level planar diagrams. We demonstrate on a number of examples that each tile can be associated with a modified hexagon form-factor in such a way as to efficiently reproduce the tree-level four-point function. Our tessellation is not of the OPE type, fostering the hope of finding an independent, integrability-based approach to the computation of planar four-point functions.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure

Colour-dressed hexagon tessellations for correlation functions and non-planar corrections

We continue the study of four-point correlation functions by the hexagon tessellation approach initiated in 1611.05436 and 1611.05577. We consider planar tree-level correlation functions in $\mathcal{N} = 4$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory involving two non-protected operators. We find that, in order to reproduce the field theory result, it is necessary to include $SU(N)$ colour factors in the hexagon formalism; moreover, we find that the hexagon approach as it stands is naturally tailored to the single-trace part of correlation functions, and does not account for multi-trace admixtures. We discuss how to compute correlators involving double-trace operators, as well as more general $1/N$ effects; in particular we compute the whole next-to-leading order in the large-$N$ expansion of tree-level BMN two-point functions by tessellating a torus with punctures. Finally, we turn to the issue of "wrapping", L\"uscher-like corrections. We show that $SU(N)$ colour-dressing reproduces an earlier empirical rule for incorporating single-magnon wrapping, and we provide a direct interpretation of such wrapping processes in terms of $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric Feynman diagrams.Comment: 42 pages, typos correcte

Local integrands for the five-point amplitude in planar N=4 SYM up to five loops

Integrands for colour ordered scattering amplitudes in planar N=4 SYM are dual to those of correlation functions of the energy-momentum multiplet of the theory. The construction can relate amplitudes with different numbers of legs. By graph theory methods the integrand of the four-point function of energy-momentum multiplets has been constructed up to six loops in previous work. In this article we extend this analysis to seven loops and use it to construct the full integrand of the five-point amplitude up to five loops, and in the parity even sector to six loops. All results, both parity even and parity odd, are obtained in a concise local form in dual momentum space and can be displayed efficiently through graphs. We have verified agreement with other local formulae both in terms of supertwistors and scalar momentum integrals as well as BCJ forms where those exist in the literature, i.e. up to three loops. Finally we note that the four-point correlation function can be extracted directly from the four-point amplitude and so this uncovers a direct link from four- to five-point amplitudes.Comment: 29 pages LaTeX, 8 figure

The Correlahedron

We introduce a new geometric object, the correlahedron, which we conjecture to be equivalent to stress-energy correlators in planar N=4N=4 super Yang-Mills. Re-expressing the Grassmann dependence of correlation functions of n chiral stress-energy multiplets with Grassmann degree 4k in terms of 4(n + k)-linear bosonic variables, the resulting expressions have an interpretation as volume forms on a Gr(n+k, 4+n+k) Grassmannian, analogous to the expressions for planar amplitudes via the amplituhedron. The resulting volume forms are to be naturally associated with the correlahedron geometry. We construct such expressions in this bosonised space both directly, in general, from Feynman diagrams in twistor space, and then more invariantly from specific known correlator expressions in analytic superspace. We give a geometric interpretation of the action of the consecutive lightlike limit and show that under this the correlahedron reduces to the squared amplituhedron both as a geometric object as well as directly on the corresponding volume forms. We give an explicit easily implementable algorithm via cylindrical decompositions for extracting the squared amplituhedron volume form from the squared amplituhedron geometry with explicit examples and discuss the analogous procedure for the correlators

Bound State Scattering Simplified

In the description of the AdS5/CFT4 duality by an integrable system the scattering matrix for bound states plays a crucial role: it was initially constructed for the evaluation of finite size corrections to the planar spectrum of energy levels/anomalous dimensions by the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz, and more recently it re-appeared in the context of the glueing prescription of the hexagon approach to higher-point functions. In this work we present a simplified form of this scattering matrix and we make its pole structure manifest. We find some new relations between its matrix elements and also present an explicit form for its inverse. We finally discuss some of its properties including crossing symmetry. Our results will hopefully be useful for computing finite-size effects such as the ones given by the complicated sum-integrals arising from the glueing of hexagons, as well as help towards understanding universal features of the AdS5/CFT4 scattering matrix.Comment: 17 pages; Mathematica notebook attached to the submission; v2: misprints and references correcte

Positivity of hexagon perturbation theory

The hexagon-form-factor program was proposed as a way to compute three- and higher-point correlation functions in $\mathcal{N}=4$ super-symmetric Yang-Mills theory and in the dual AdS$_5\times$S$^5$ superstring theory, by exploiting the integrability of the theory in the 't Hooft limit. This approach is reminiscent of the asymptotic Bethe ansatz in that it applies to a large-volume expansion. Finite-volume corrections can be incorporated through L\"uscher-like formulae, though the systematics of this expansion is largely unexplored so far. Strikingly, finite-volume corrections may feature negative powers of the 't Hooft coupling $g$ in the small-$g$ expansion, potentially leading to a breakdown of the formalism. In this work we show that the finite-volume perturbation theory for the hexagon is positive and thereby compatible with the weak-coupling expansion for arbitrary $n$-point functions.Comment: v2: misprints corrected, further details on physical magnons adde