Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2018 3 c Solution 2026-10-25
In four dimensions set and retain the one-loop beta function . On an interval where , differentiate its inverse:Integrating between and yieldsThe solution is identically zero and is also the continuous limit of this expression. Expanding the denominator gives , directly checking the perturbative sign.
For positive , the running coupling decreases towards the infrared and increases towards the ultraviolet. The one-loop expression has a Landau pole atThis is the scale where the truncated solution diverges, not a controlled perturbative prediction of a physical singularity at arbitrarily strong coupling. The formula is quantitatively reliable while the running coupling remains small enough that omitted higher-loop terms are negligible. It resums the leading logarithms of that approximate renormalization group equation; it is not the exact all-orders solution of the theory.
Quartic running coupling below four dimensions Created 2026-10-14 Updated 2026-11-05
At quadratic order, for . Solving the linear equation for gives the displayed expression. If , the ultraviolet limit is zero and the infrared limit is . Initial data above reach a Landau pole at a finite ultraviolet scale. The interacting value is the Wilson-Fisher fixed point along the quartic coupling direction; the full scalar theory also has a thermal relevant direction at the Wilson-Fisher fixed point, so a critical infrared limit requires mass tuning.