Scattering amplitudes in YM and GR as minimal model brackets and their recursive characterization

Attached to both Yang-Mills and General Relativity about Minkowski spacetime are distinguished gauge independent objects known as the on-shell tree scattering amplitudes. We reinterpret and rigorously construct them as $L_\infty$ minimal model brackets. This is based on formulating YM and GR as differential graded Lie algebras. Their minimal model brackets are then given by a sum of trivalent (cubic) Feynman tree graphs. The amplitudes are gauge independent when all internal lines are off-shell, not merely up to $L_\infty$ isomorphism, and we include a homological algebra proof of this fact. Using the homological perturbation lemma, we construct homotopies (propagators) that are optimal in bringing out the factorization of the residues of the amplitudes. Using a variant of Hartogs extension for singular varieties, we give a rigorous account of a recursive characterization of the amplitudes via their residues independent of their original definition in terms of Feynman graphs (this does neither involve so-called BCFW shifts nor conditions at infinity under such shifts). Roughly, the amplitude with $N$ legs is the unique section of a sheaf on a variety of $N$ complex momenta whose residues along a finite list of irreducible codimension one subvarieties (prime divisors) factor into amplitudes with less than $N$ legs. The sheaf is a direct sum of rank one sheaves labeled by helicity signs. To emphasize that amplitudes are robust objects, we give a succinct list of properties that suffice for a dgLa so as to produce the YM and GR amplitudes respectively.Comment: 51 page

Scattering amplitude annihilators

Several second order differential operators are shown to annihilate the YM and GR tree scattering amplitudes. In particular we prove a conjecture of Loebbert, Mojaza and Plefka from their investigation of a hidden conformal symmetry in GR.Comment: 31 pages; v2: edits in various sections to improve clarity; computer code included in an appendix; v3: acknowledgments adde

Candlelight, Moonlight, Olympics: Korea in Transition. IES Policy Brief Issue 2018/01 • January 2018

The surprising readiness of Kim Jong-un to re-open lines of communications and to participate in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics could strengthen President Moon who needs to change course from announcement of policies to their implementation to live up to his promise to provide jobs through income and innovation lead growth with the aim of establishing a just and fair society for all Koreans. Enhanced EU-Korean cooperation could contribute to economic and political stability and security providing substance to the 55 years’ jubilee