Inverse of the String Theory KLT Kernel

The field theory Kawai-Lewellen-Tye (KLT) kernel, which relates scattering amplitudes of gravitons and gluons, turns out to be the inverse of a matrix whose components are bi-adjoint scalar partial amplitudes. In this note we propose an analogous construction for the string theory KLT kernel. We present simple diagrammatic rules for the computation of the $\alpha'$-corrected bi-adjoint scalar amplitudes that are exact in $\alpha'$. We find compact expressions in terms of graphs, where the standard Feynman propagators $1/p^2$ are replaced by either $1/\sin (\pi \alpha' p^2/2)$ or $1/\tan (\pi \alpha' p^2/2)$, as determined by a recursive procedure. We demonstrate how the same object can be used to conveniently expand open string partial amplitudes in a BCJ basis.Comment: 25 pages, published version, Mathematica notebook attache

Perturbiner Methods for Effective Field Theories and the Double Copy

Perturbiner expansion provides a generating function for all Berends-Giele currents in a given quantum field theory. We apply this method to various effective field theories with and without color degrees of freedom. In the colored case, we study the U(N) non-linear sigma model of Goldstone bosons (NLSM) in a recent parametrization due to Cheung and Shen, as well as its extension involving a coupling to the bi-adjoint scalar. We propose a Lagrangian and a Cachazo-He-Yuan formula for the latter valid in multi-trace sectors and systematically calculate its amplitudes. Furthermore, we make a similar proposal for a higher-derivative correction to NLSM that agrees with the subleading order of the abelian Z-theory. In the colorless cases, we formulate perturbiner expansions for the special Galileon and Born-Infeld theories. Finally, we study Kawai-Lewellen-Tye-like double-copy relations for Berends-Giele currents between the above colored and colorless theories. We find that they hold up to pure gauge terms, but without the need for further field redefinitions.Comment: 44 page

A String Deformation of the Parke-Taylor Factor

Scattering amplitudes in a range of quantum field theories can be computed using the Cachazo-He-Yuan (CHY) formalism. In theories with colour ordering, the key ingredient is the so-called Parke-Taylor factor. In this note we give a fully $\text{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$-covariant definition and study the properties of a new integrand called the string Parke-Taylor factor. It has an $\alpha'$ expansion whose leading coefficient is the field-theoretic Parke-Taylor factor. Its main application is that it leads to a CHY formulation of open string tree-level amplitudes. In fact, the definition of the string Parke-Taylor factor was motivated by trying to extend the compact formula for the first $\alpha'$ correction found by He and Zhang, while the main ingredient in its definition is a determinant of a matrix introduced in the context of string theory by Stieberger and Taylor.Comment: 12+10 page

Feynman Integrals and Intersection Theory

We introduce the tools of intersection theory to the study of Feynman integrals, which allows for a new way of projecting integrals onto a basis. In order to illustrate this technique, we consider the Baikov representation of maximal cuts in arbitrary space-time dimension. We introduce a minimal basis of differential forms with logarithmic singularities on the boundaries of the corresponding integration cycles. We give an algorithm for computing a basis decomposition of an arbitrary maximal cut using so-called intersection numbers and describe two alternative ways of computing them. Furthermore, we show how to obtain Pfaffian systems of differential equations for the basis integrals using the same technique. All the steps are illustrated on the example of a two-loop non-planar triangle diagram with a massive loop.Comment: 13 pages, published versio

Quasi-concave density estimation

Maximum likelihood estimation of a log-concave probability density is formulated as a convex optimization problem and shown to have an equivalent dual formulation as a constrained maximum Shannon entropy problem. Closely related maximum Renyi entropy estimators that impose weaker concavity restrictions on the fitted density are also considered, notably a minimum Hellinger discrepancy estimator that constrains the reciprocal of the square-root of the density to be concave. A limiting form of these estimators constrains solutions to the class of quasi-concave densities.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/10-AOS814 the Annals of Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aos/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Scattering Amplitudes from Intersection Theory

We use Picard-Lefschetz theory to prove a new formula for intersection numbers of twisted cocycles associated to a given arrangement of hyperplanes. In a special case when this arrangement produces the moduli space of punctured Riemann spheres, intersection numbers become tree-level scattering amplitudes of quantum field theories in the Cachazo-He-Yuan formulation.Comment: 4 pages + appendices, published versio

Combinatorics and Topology of Kawai-Lewellen-Tye Relations

We revisit the relations between open and closed string scattering amplitudes discovered by Kawai, Lewellen, and Tye (KLT). We show that they emerge from the underlying algebro-topological identities known as the twisted period relations. In order to do so, we formulate tree-level string theory amplitudes in the language of twisted de Rham theory. There, open string amplitudes are understood as pairings between twisted cycles and cocycles. Similarly, closed string amplitudes are given as a pairing between two twisted cocycles. Finally, objects relating the two types of string amplitudes are the $\alpha'$-corrected bi-adjoint scalar amplitudes recently defined by the author [arXiv:1610.04230]. We show that they naturally arise as intersection numbers of twisted cycles. In this work we focus on the combinatorial and topological description of twisted cycles relevant for string theory amplitudes. In this setting, each twisted cycle is a polytope, known in combinatorics as the associahedron, together with an additional structure encoding monodromy properties of string integrals. In fact, this additional structure is given by higher-dimensional generalizations of the Pochhammer contour. An open string amplitude is then computed as an integral of a logarithmic form over an associahedron. We show that the inverse of the KLT kernel can be calculated from the knowledge of how pairs of associahedra intersect one another in the moduli space. In the field theory limit, contributions from these intersections localize to vertices of the associahedra, giving rise to the bi-adjoint scalar partial amplitudes.Comment: 51 page