Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2014/iii/paper-44/4/d/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 44 4 d Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
A gauge-invariant observable is BRST-closed: replacing its infinitesimal gauge parameter by the ghost gives . Change the gauge functional continuously, or interpolate between two admissible choices, by changing the gauge-fixing fermion to . The action changes by the BRST-exact operator .
For a normalized correlator of with each insertion BRST-closed, differentiation of the functional integral givesThe BRST Ward identity says for an invariant measure and action, with appropriate boundary conditions. Since , the graded Leibniz rule makes the first insertion an exact variation of up to its harmless parity sign, and both terms vanish. ThusPhysical gauge-invariant correlation functions are independent of this gauge condition, even though individual gauge-field and ghost Feynman diagrams change. This argument assumes an admissible perturbative gauge fixing, a BRST symmetry-preserving regulator/measure and no uncanceled boundary contribution. A global failure of those assumptions is not settled by the formal local calculation.
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