# Non-analyticity of the Callan-Symanzik 𝛽-function of O(𝑁) models.

## Abstract

In the framework of the $`1/N`$ expansion we show that the Callan-Symanzik $`\beta `$-function associated with the four-point coupling $`g`$ is non-analytic at its zero, i.e. at the fixed-point value $`g^{}`$ of $`g`$. This singular behavior can be interpreted by renormalization group arguments, and written in terms of scaling correction exponents.

We obtain accurate determinations of $`g^{}`$ in 3-$`d`$ and 2-$`d`$ by exploiting two alternative approaches: the $`ϵ`$-expansion in the $`\varphi ^4`$ formulation of the O($`N`$) model, and the high-temperature expansion of the lattice $`N`$-vector (O($`N`$) nonlinear $`\sigma `$) model. These results are compared with the available estimates by other approaches, such as the fixed-dimension perturbative expansion, Monte Carlo simulations, etc…

We also present results for the $`n`$-point renormalized coupling constants that parameterize the behavior of the effective potential in the high- and low-temperature phases.

The renormalization-group theory of critical phenomena provides a description of statistical models in the neighbourhood of the critical point. For $`\mathrm{O}(N)`$ models calculations are based on the $`\varphi ^4`$-field theory. A strategy, which has been largely employed in the study of the symmetric phase, relies on a perturbative expansion in powers of the zero-momentum four-point coupling $`g`$ performed at fixed dimension. The theory is renormalized at zero momentum by requiring

$`\mathrm{\Gamma }^{(2)}(p)_{\alpha \beta }=\delta _{\alpha \beta }Z_G^1\left[m^2+p^2+O(p^4)\right]`$ (1)   
$`\mathrm{\Gamma }^{(4)}(0,0,0,0)_{\alpha \beta \gamma \delta }=Z_G^2mg\delta _{\alpha \beta \gamma \delta }/3`$ (2)   
where $`\delta _{\alpha \beta \gamma \delta }=\delta _{\alpha \beta }\delta _{\gamma \delta }+\delta _{\alpha \gamma }\delta _{\beta \delta }+\delta _{\alpha \delta }\delta _{\beta \gamma }`$. When $`m0`$ the coupling $`g`$ is driven toward an infrared stable zero $`g^{}`$ of the Callan-Symanzik $`\beta `$-function

$$\beta (g)mg/m|_{g_0,\mathrm{\Lambda }}.$$
(3)   
$`g^{}`$ is also obtained as the critical limit of

$$g_\sigma =\frac{3N}{N+2}\frac{\chi _4}{\chi ^2\xi ^d}g^{}$$
(4)   
where $`\chi `$ is the magnetic susceptibility, $`\xi `$ the second-moment correlation length, and $`\chi _4=_{i,j,k}\varphi (0)\varphi (x_i)\varphi (x_j)\varphi (x_k)_c.`$ We recall that $`N`$-vector (nonlinear O($`N`$) $`\sigma `$) and $`\varphi ^4`$ models describe the same critical behavior.

In the framework of the $`1/N`$ expansion the analysis of the next-to-leading order shows that the Callan-Symanzik $`\beta `$-function is non-analytic at its zero, i.e. at the fixed-point value $`g^{}`$ of $`g`$ . The large-$`N`$ result agrees with the singular behavior

$`\beta (g)=\omega (g^{}g)+\text{analytic terms}`$   
$`+c_1(g^{}g)^{1+\frac{1}{\mathrm{\Delta }}}+\mathrm{}+d_1(g^{}g)^{\frac{\mathrm{\Delta }_2}{\mathrm{\Delta }}}+\mathrm{}`$ (5)   
($`\mathrm{\Delta }=\omega \nu `$ and $`\mathrm{\Delta }_2`$ are scaling correction exponents) that can be derived using renormalization group arguments .

A precise determination of $`g^{}`$ is crucial in the field-theoretic approach based on the $`g`$-expansion, where the critical exponents are obtained by evaluating appropriate (resummed) anomalous dimensions at $`g^{}`$. In this approach the resummation of the $`g`$-expansion is usually performed following the Le Guillou Zinn-Justin (LZ) procedure , which assumes the analyticity of the $`\beta `$-function. The presence of confluent singularities may then cause a slow convergence to the correct fixed-point value, leading to an underestimation of the uncertainty. A more general analysis explicitly allowing for the presence of confluent singularities would slightly change the value of $`g^{}`$ for small values of $`N`$ and consequently the values of the critical exponents . It is therefore important to exploit other approaches to the study of O($`N`$) models, which can provide a check of the estimates of $`g^{}`$ from the resummations of the $`g`$-expansion. We considered two alternative approaches: the $`ϵ`$-expansion in the continuum $`\varphi ^4`$ formulation and the high-temperature (HT) expansion of the $`N`$-vector (lattice $`O(N)`$ $`\sigma `$) model. We extended the $`ϵ`$-expansion of $`g^{}`$ to $`O(ϵ^4)`$. Accurate estimates of $`g^{}`$ in 3-$`d`$ and 2-$`d`$ were obtained by a constrained analysis of the $`ϵ`$-series using its known values at lower dimensions. Moreover we reanalyzed the available HT expansion of $`g_\sigma `$ in the $`N`$-vector models, by a method able to handle the leading confluent singularity (for a more recent analysis using longer series see Ref. ). In Table 1 and 2 we present our 3-$`d`$ and 2-$`d`$ results respectively. For comparison we also report some of the available estimates from other approaches. The agreement among the various estimates of $`g^{}`$ is globally good.

The results in Table 1 indicate that the systematic error in the LZ resummation due to the non-analytic terms in Eq. (5) should be small. This may be explained by the fact that, for small values of $`N`$, the exponents in Eq. (5) are close to integer numbers, indeed $`\mathrm{\Delta }_2/\mathrm{\Delta }2`$, $`\mathrm{\Delta }_3/\mathrm{\Delta }3`$, and $`1+1/\mathrm{\Delta }3`$. However, the results for $`N=0,1`$ are slightly lower than the estimates given by the LZ resummation of the $`O(g^7)`$ series of $`\beta (g)`$, thus favouring the more general analysis of Ref. . This would lead to a small change in the estimates of the critical exponents. For instance, in the case $`N=0`$ (self avoiding walks) the resummation of the $`O(g^7)`$ series of $`\gamma (g)`$ evaluated at $`\overline{g}^{}=1.413(6)`$ gives $`\gamma (\overline{g}^{})1.160`$. A lower value $`\overline{g}^{}1.39`$, as indicated by our calculations, would lead to $`\gamma (\overline{g}^{}=1.39)1.158`$, in substantial agreement with the recent result of Monte Carlo simulations $`\gamma =1.1575(6)`$  and with the analysis of the $`ϵ`$-expansion: $`\gamma 1.158`$.

The effective potential is widely used in the field-theoretic description of fundamental interactions and phase transitions. In statistical physics it represents the free-energy density $``$ as a function of the order parameter. $``$ can be expanded in powers of the renormalized magnetization $`\phi `$

$$\mathrm{\Delta }=\underset{j=1}{}m^{2j+(1j)d}\frac{1}{(2j)!}g_{2j}\phi ^{2j}$$
(6)   
where $`\mathrm{\Delta }=(\phi )(0)`$, and $`g_{2j}`$ are the zero-momentum $`2j`$-point renormalized coupling. By definition $`g_2=1`$ and $`g_4=g`$. Setting $`\phi =m^{(d2)/2}z/\sqrt{g}`$ and $`r_{2j}=g_{2j}/g^{j1}`$ we write

$$\mathrm{\Delta }=\frac{m^d}{g}\left(\frac{1}{2}z^2+\frac{1}{4!}z^4+\underset{j=3}{}\frac{1}{(2j)!}r_{2j}z^{2j}\right)$$
(7)   
In order to evaluate the first few $`r_{2j}`$ we performed a constrained analysis of the $`ϵ`$-expansion of $`r_{2j}`$. In Table 3 we report our 3-$`d`$ results for $`r_6`$ and $`r_8`$. We compare them with some of the available estimates from other approaches, such as $`d=3`$ $`g`$-expansion , approximate solution of the exact renormalization group equation (ERG) , high-temperature expansion . In the case of the Ising model also $`r_{10}`$ has been roughly estimated: $`r_{10}=20(15)`$.

In two dimensions an analysis of the HT expansion of the free-energy of the Ising model in the presence of an external field gave $`r_6=3.678(2)`$, $`r_8=26.0(2)`$ and $`r_{10}=275(15)`$. These numbers compare well with the estimates $`r_6=3.69(4)`$ and $`r_8=26.4(1.0)`$ obtained from our constrained analysis of the $`ϵ`$-expansion. Moreover we obtained $`r_6=3.54(7)`$ and $`r_8=25.1(2.0)`$ for $`N=2`$ (2-$`d`$ XY model), and $`r_6=3.33(6)`$ and $`r_8=20.3(1.7)`$ for $`N=3`$.

In the broken phase of the 3-$`d`$ Ising model the effective potential at the coexistence curve can be expanded as

$$(\phi )(\phi _0)=\underset{j=2}{}m^{dj(d2)/2}\frac{1}{j!}g_j^{}(\phi \phi _0)^j$$
(8)   
where $`g_j^{}`$ are the zero-momentum $`j`$-point renormalized coupling in the broken phase ($`g_2^{}=1`$ by definition). A constrained analysis of the $`ϵ`$-expansion  gave the estimates $`g_3^{}=13.06(12)`$ and $`g_4^{}=75(7)`$. The parametrization (8) does not apply to the case $`N1`$, due to the presence of Goldstone bosons. One indeed finds

$$(\phi )(\phi _0)c\left(\phi ^2\phi _0^2\right)^{d/(d2)}$$
(9)   
In 3-$`d`$, where $`d/(d2)=3`$, logarithms appear in the corrections to the leading behavior.