Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 48 3 ii Solution 2026-10-14
In phi cubed theory, a two-point bubble diagram has two cubic vertices, two internal scalar propagators and symmetry factor . Its connected amputated insertion is . The inverse scalar propagator, or quadratic one-particle-irreducible vertex, therefore receives the negative insertion:Equivalently, the connected two-point correction is , and expansion of its inverse changes the sign. The same sign follows from the second term of .
Using the six-dimensional residue and , the divergent inverse-propagator correction isIts momentum term requires wave-function renormalization, unlike the massive quartic tadpole. The minimal-subtraction two-point counterterms in cubic scalar theory areThese are additive coefficients in a Lagrangian expressed in terms of the renormalized field. If , , and the bare mass is separately written , then at this order, so . Distinguishing these conventions prevents a spurious disagreement between mass counterterms. The local Minkowski counterterms are . A complete cubic theory also has one-point and three-point subtractions; they are not the specified two-point bubble poles.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 301 3 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
In phi cubed theory, each vertex has three legs. A connected four-point tree-level Feynman diagram therefore needs two cubic vertices and one internal propagator. There are exactly three ways to partition the labeled external legs between these vertices:
s channel t channel u channel
p \ / p' p ---o--- p' p ---o--- q'
o--------o | |
q / \ q' q ---o--- q' q ---o--- p'
internal: p+q internal: p-p' internal: p-q'Solid lines denote the real scalar field propagator. The labels specify which external pair meets at each vertex, so the last two graphs are different even though their unlabeled shapes agree. This is the four-point tree amplitude in phi cubed theory:There is no four-point contact vertex in the given cubic interaction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 301 2 b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The momentum-space Feynman rules for Phi cubed theory areEach vertex carries of momentum conservation, each independent loop momentum is integrated with , and a graph is divided by its Feynman-diagram symmetry factor. External propagators are omitted from an amputated scattering amplitude.