Integrable quantum field theory

A quantum field theory with enough mutually compatible conserved quantities to constrain its dynamics exactly. In massive relativistic theories in one spatial dimension, suitable higher-spin conserved charges imply elastic factorized scattering: the set of incoming rapidities is preserved and multiparticle amplitudes are assembled from two-particle S-matrices.

Multiparticle quantum scattering is factorized when it decomposes into two-body scatterings without particle production or a new irreducible many-body amplitude. The independence of the answer from the order of exchanges imposes the Yang-Baxter equation. Classical pairwise additivity of soliton shifts is a corresponding property of integrable soliton collisions.

For an equal-mass bound pair $C=(AA)$ at fusion rapidity $iu$, scatter a third particle off its two constituents with shifted rapidities and project onto the bound-state residue. Scalar amplitudes give the displayed product. With internal indices, bound-state coupling tensors perform the projection. The Yang-Baxter equation makes different scattering orders consistent; factorization eliminates independent many-body scattering contributions.

For particles in the vector representation of the orthogonal group, the two-body S-matrix is a linear combination of the identity $I$, permutation $P$ and trace contraction $K$: $S=S_{2}I+S_{3}P+S_{1}K$. Here $K(e_i\otimes e_j)={\delta }_{ij}{\sum }_a{e}_a\otimes e_a$, $P^2=I$, $PK=KP=K$ and $K^2=NK$. The orthogonal-invariant scattering channels diagonalize these three operators simultaneously.

The two-vector tensor product splits into a trace singlet, symmetric traceless tensors and antisymmetric tensors. For an O(N)-invariant S-matrix, the corresponding eigenvalues are $s_0=N{S}_1+S_2+S_3$, $s_{+}=S_2+S_3$ and $s_{-}=S_2-S_3$. For $N\ge 2$, analytic unitarity requires $s_a(\theta )s_a(-\theta )=1$. With Hermitian analyticity of a two-particle S-matrix, each channel has unit modulus on the real rapidity axis.

For a two-body operator $R(u)$ acting on a tensor product of particle species spaces, the spectral equation is $R_{12}(u)R_{13}(u+v)R_{23}(v)=R_{23}(v)R_{13}(u+v)R_{12}(u)$. It guarantees agreement between the two ways to reorder three particles in factorized scattering. A Yang–Baxter operator is a related braid-form operator; multiplying by the permutation operator converts between the braided and unbraided conventions.

Particle operators obey a rapidity-dependent exchange rule $A_i({\theta }_1)A_j({\theta }_2)=S_{ij}^{kl}({\theta }_1-{\theta }_2)A_l({\theta }_2)A_k({\theta }_1)$, with repeated species indices summed. A consistent associative algebra must give the same coefficients when a triple product is brought to decreasing or increasing rapidity order by either sequence of adjacent exchanges. This is the Faddeev-Zamolodchikov associativity constraint. Rapidity ordering here is distinct from the creation/annihilation convention of ordinary normal ordering.

Starting with three ordered rapidities, the adjacent-exchange sequences $121$ and $212$ must give identical coefficients for every final species word in the Faddeev-Zamolodchikov algebra. The exchange parameters are $\theta$, $\theta +{\theta }^{\prime }$ and ${\theta }^{\prime }$ because rapidity differences add. These coefficient identities express the spectral Yang-Baxter equation. One scalar identity is necessary but generally does not exhaust all the constraints.