For massless quark Compton scattering, the color average contributes one, since . The spin average and incoming photon polarization average supply . The Ward identities permit use of for each photon polarization completeness relation, and the massless fermion spin sum is .
LetReversing the gamma matrices order gives its Dirac-conjugate matrix . The squared scattering amplitude isFor clarity evaluate the four traces before dividing by their denominators. The Mandelstam variables obey , with , , and . For the squared -channel contribution, the gamma matrix trace identities implyHere and . For the squared -channel contribution, givesOne interference trace reduces tosince . The other interference trace is its complex conjugate and also vanishes. ThereforeEquivalently in terms of the fine-structure constant. In the physical noncollinear region , , so the result is positive. The singular massless endpoint reflects a collinear divergence; it is not a negative squared scattering amplitude.