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A flattened primordial bispectrum configuration lies at the collinear boundary of the allowed momentum-triangle domain. For a cubic time-derivative curvature bispectrum, it is finite rather than singular. Its equal-short-side value $k_1=k_2=k_3/2$ gives $k_1{k}_2{k}_3/(k_1+k_2+k_3{)}^3=1/32$, compared with $1/27$ at an equilateral bispectrum configuration.

Use the paper's mode normalization, effectively $M_p=1$, and set $C=ϵ+1-c_s^2$, $K=k_1+k_2+k_3$, $s_2=k_1{k}_2+k_1{k}_3+k_2{k}_3$, $s_3=k_1{k}_2{k}_3$. Write $⟨{\zeta }_1{\zeta }_2{\zeta }_3{⟩}_c=(2\pi {)}^3{\delta }^3(\sum {\mathbf{k}}_i)B$. There are two source consistency issues: the supplied interaction picture expansion makes an external-before-vertex Wick contraction contain $u_k({\tau }^{\prime })$, with positive exponential $e^{ik{c}_s{\tau }^{\prime }}$; it converges at $-\infty (1-i0)$, whereas the PDF prints $-\infty (1+i\epsilon )$. Also the stated positive interaction has the opposite overall bispectrum sign from the printed target. The following calculation identifies both issues directly.

For the stated mode expansion, the ordered contraction isA spatial derivative at the vertex supplies $i{p}_j$; the two differentiated legs consequently give $-{\mathbf{k}}_i\cdot {\mathbf{k}}_j$. There are two Wick contractions for each choice of the undifferentiated external leg. The extra $a({\tau }^{\prime })$ in the stipulated in-in formalism integral makes the vertex coefficient $a^2ϵC/c_s^2$, using $a^2=1/(H^2{\tau }^{\prime 2})$. This is consistent if the named $H_{\mathrm{int}}$ is the cosmic-time generator expressed as a function of $\tau$, since $dt=ad\tau$; if it were already the conformal-time generator, that extra $a$ would have to be removed.

For the spatial-gradient cubic curvature bispectrum, define the late-time scalar gradient vertex integralWith $\omega =c_{s}K$, the first two terms of the product obey $({\tau }^{\prime -2}-i\omega {\tau }^{\prime -1})e^{i\omega {\tau }^{\prime }}=-{\partial }_{{\tau }^{\prime }}(e^{i\omega {\tau }^{\prime }}/{\tau }^{\prime })$. The other two use ${\int }_{-\infty }^0{e}^{i\omega {\tau }^{\prime }}d{\tau }^{\prime }=-i/\omega$ and ${\int }_{-\infty }^0{\tau }^{\prime }{e}^{i\omega {\tau }^{\prime }}d{\tau }^{\prime }=1/{\omega }^2$, with the same vacuum prescription. The endpoint divergence $-1/{\tau }_f$ is real, whileIn particular the finite $-K$ term comes from the endpoint of the total derivative and must not be discarded along with the real divergence.

Let $S={\mathbf{k}}_1\cdot {\mathbf{k}}_2+{\mathbf{k}}_1\cdot {\mathbf{k}}_3+{\mathbf{k}}_2\cdot {\mathbf{k}}_3$. The ordered vertex expectation, after stripping the momentum delta, is $Z=-2S{H}^{4}CI/(64{ϵ}^2{c}_s^5{k}_1^3{k}_2^3{k}_3^3)$. Since $\mathrm{Re}(-2iZ)=2\mathrm{Im}Z$, the literal positive Hamiltonian givesThe printed positive-sign target is obtained by replacing the displayed interaction Hamiltonian by its negative, with the convergent contour above. This is also the expected sign if a positive cubic $\zeta (\partial \zeta {)}^2$ coefficient was intended as a Lagrangian term, by the interaction Hamiltonian relation proved in question 3(a). Under that explicit repair,Restoring the overall $(2\pi {)}^3{\delta }^3(\sum {\mathbf{k}}_i)$ reproduces all three cyclic terms in the requested expression. An equilateral bispectrum configuration is a concrete sign check: for $k_i=k$, $S=-3k^2/2$, $Q=-17k/9$, so $SQ=17k^3/6>0$. The literal interaction gives $B=-17H^{4}C/(96{ϵ}^2{c}_s^4{k}^6)$, while the printed target is positive. This cannot be repaired by merely changing the overall definition of $\zeta$, because its field expansion and interaction were specified together. The contour typo and Hamiltonian sign are therefore documented source repairs, rather than silently altered contractions.

Use exactly the stipulated unit-sound-speed mode functions for this integral. Their late-time values are real and $u_k^{\prime }{}^{\ast }(\tau )=H{k}^2\tau e^{ik\tau }/\sqrt{4ϵk^3}$. ConsequentlyThe vacuum contour lies above the negative real time axis, so $e^{iK\tau }$ decays at its past endpoint. With $s=iK+0^{+}$, repeated differentiation of ${\int }_{-\infty }^0{e}^{s\tau }d\tau =1/s$ givesSubstitution gives the bispectrum with consistent operator ordering and the stated Hamiltonian:The sign is positive in front of $\mathcal{A}$, contrary to the target's negative sign. The printed negative result is obtained algebraically if one uses the unstarred derivatives, $e^{-iK\tau }$, and the conjugate past contour, which gives $-2i/K^3$, while retaining $-2i$ outside. That combination is not the stated vacuum contour or the stated external-before-vertex contraction. A consistently conjugated representation must also conjugate the external prefactor and has the positive result above. The unit-speed cubic time-derivative bispectrum records these conventions explicitly.

The approximation treats $H$, $ϵ$ and the interaction coefficients as constant, uses the de Sitter approximation, retains only the stipulated vertex at tree level, and takes $k_i|{\tau }_{\mathrm{final}}|\to 0$ after doing the convergent early-time integral. The $i0$ prescription must be kept while imposing the past boundary condition; an arbitrary early-time cutoff leaves spurious oscillatory boundary terms. For a physical noncanonical quadratic action with $c_s\ne 1$, the mode functions also change to $H(1+i{c}_{s}k\tau )e^{-i{c}_{s}k\tau }/\sqrt{4ϵc_s{k}^3}$. They were not supplied here; the displayed calculation is conditional on the paper's specified modes, rather than a full self-consistent noncanonical power-spectrum calculation.

With the stipulated power spectrum $P_{\zeta }(k)=H^2/(4ϵk^3)$, an equilateral bispectrum configuration gives $B(k,k,k)/P(k{)}^2=2\mathcal{F}/9$. For the local-style normalization evaluated only at that triangle, $B(k,k,k)=(18/5)f_{\mathrm{NL}}^{\mathrm{effective}}P(k{)}^2$, this meansThis is a normalization convention for an equilateral amplitude, not a claim that the shape is local. In a squeezed bispectrum configuration, the ratio to the long-short power product is suppressed by $(k_L/k_S{)}^2$. Small sound speed or large higher-kinetic derivatives can make $|\mathcal{F}|$ large enough for potentially observable primordial non-Gaussianity, whereas $c_s\to 1$ with finite $\mathcal{A}$ suppresses this vertex. Detectability is conditional on amplitudes, the other cubic interactions, and perturbative control; it cannot be asserted from the given constants alone.

Write $K=k_1+k_2+k_3>0$ and $C=ϵ+1-c_s^2$. The inflationary scalar Fourier mode has real late-time value $A_k=H/\sqrt{4ϵM_{\mathrm{Pl}}^2{c}_s{k}^3}$ and $u_k^{\prime \ast }(\tau )=A_k{c}_s^2{k}^2\tau e^{ik{c}_s\tau }$. Thus the time integrand, before the factor $-2i$, isThe Bunch-Davies vacuum prescription supplies damping in the past. Equivalently, use a positive regulator $d$ and then take the limit:The real part of $-2i$ times this integral is $4/(c_s^3{K}^3)$. Including the six Wick contractions yields the cubic time-derivative curvature bispectrumThe resulting primordial bispectrum is a homogeneous function of degree $-6$ in the wavenumbers, as expected for scale-independent background parameters.

The printed limit $c_s\ll 0$ is not a physical sound-speed limit for these modes. The normalization and positive-frequency choice assume $c_s>0$; a negative value is outside the positive sound-speed convention used by these modes. The likely intended limit is $0<c_s\ll 1$, which is analyzed explicitly here rather than silently substituted for the PDF.

To compare primordial non-Gaussianity, normalize by the power spectrum, not only by the raw three-point amplitude. HereAt an equilateral bispectrum configuration, the exact normalized amplitude isThus $c_s\to 1$ gives an amplitude of order $ϵ$, consistent with weak non-Gaussianity in single-field slow-roll inflation. For $0<c_s\ll 1$, this vertex gives an amplitude of order one, enhanced relative to the slow-roll limit but not diverging as $c_s^{-2}$ after power-spectrum normalization. At fixed $H,ϵ,M_{\mathrm{Pl}}$ the raw bispectrum does scale as $c_s^{-2}$, but $P_{\zeta }^2$ has the same scaling. The often-quoted larger small-sound-speed amplitudes of more general inflationary actions require their actual interaction coefficients and other vertices; they do not follow from the lone supplied vertex. These conclusions concern its tree contribution within the stated weak-perturbation approximation.

The bispectrum shape function isAt fixed perimeter, the arithmetic-geometric mean inequality bounds this by $1/27$, attained only at an equilateral bispectrum configuration. In a squeezed bispectrum configuration with $k_1=q\ll k_2\simeq k_3=k$, it behaves as $q/(8k)\to 0$. At a flattened bispectrum configuration $(k,k,2k)$ it is finite, $1/32$, with no boundary singularity. Thus the shape prefers equilateral triangles and suppresses squeezed triangles, with a broad finite flattened contribution. This is a shape preference, not a complete signal-to-noise calculation: actual observational weighting also depends on cosmological transfer functions, covariance and accessible triangles. If $C=0$, this vertex produces no bispectrum at any configuration; if $C<0$, the signed shape reverses while its absolute triangle preference is unchanged.

With cosmic-time interaction coefficient $g$, constant $H,ϵ,c_s$, and modes whose positive-frequency part is $H(1+ik{c}_s\tau )e^{-ik{c}_s\tau }/\sqrt{4ϵc_s{k}^3}$ in units $M_p=1$, two Wick contractions per differentiated pair and the late-time scalar gradient vertex integral giveHere $⟨{\zeta }^3{⟩}_c=(2\pi {)}^3{\delta }^3(\sum {\mathbf{k}}_i)B$. The extra factor $a$ in $dt=ad\tau$ must be included. A positive $g$ yields a negative bispectrum in an equilateral bispectrum configuration; changing the sign of the interaction changes the sign of $B$.