Loop order

The loop order of a connected Feynman diagram is the number $L=I-V+1$ of independent momentum cycles, where $I$ is the number of internal lines and $V$ the number of vertices. Each loop introduces an unconstrained momentum integral.

For a connected Feynman diagram with external valence $n$ and cubic, quartic and sextic vertices, counting half-edges gives $2I+n=3V_3+4V_4+6V_6$. Using $L=I-(V_3+V_4+V_6)+1$ yields $L-1+n/2=V_3/2+V_4+2V_6$. Since each summand lies between half and twice its vertex count, the displayed bounds follow. More generally vertices of valence between $r_{\min }$ and $r_{\max }$ give $(r_{\min }/2-1)V\le L-1+n/2\le (r_{\max }/2-1)V$.

In a scalar field path integral with weight $\exp [i(S+\int J\varphi )/\hslash ]$, each internal propagator contributes $\hslash$, each interaction vertex contributes ${\hslash }^{-1}$, and each source insertion contributes ${\hslash }^{-1}$. A connected graph with $I$ internal lines and $V$ interaction vertices has loop order $L=I-V+1$. Its amputated amplitude, or its coefficient in $\log Z[J]$ with the source insertions included, is proportional to ${\hslash }^{I-V}={\hslash }^{L-1}$. An ordinary unamputated connected $n$-field correlation function instead has the additional $n$ external propagator factors and scales as ${\hslash }^{L+n-1}$. Multiplication by $-i\hslash$ to form the connected generating functional shifts the source-kernel counting to ${\hslash }^L$. These are compatible normalization conventions.

A loop momentum is an independent momentum integrated over in a Feynman diagram. Momentum conservation leaves one independent loop momentum for each cycle counted by the loop order.