One-loop metric beta function of a string sigma model (${\beta }_{ab}^g={\alpha }^{\prime }{R}_{ab}+O({\alpha }^{\prime 2})$)

For the Euclidean kinetic normalization $(4\pi {\alpha }^{\prime }{)}^{-1}\int g_{ab}(X)\partial X^a\partial X^b$, vanishing two-form and constant dilaton, the leading beta function is ${\beta }_{ab}^g={\alpha }^{\prime }{R}_{ab}$. The covariant Gaussian fluctuation operator contains a curvature vertex whose one-loop trace contracts to the Ricci tensor. Its logarithmic divergence renormalizes the metric. The scale convention is $\beta =\mu dg/d\mu$; Weyl consistency requires vanishing of this beta function as well as the other anomaly coefficients.