Getting a handle on correlation functions

Abstract

The central objects in a quantum field theory are its n-point correlation functions and matrix elements. Their structure is determined by Lorentz invariance and leads to tensor decompositions whose Lorentz-invariant coefficient functions encode the physics of the process. For growing n, the complexity of these objects may increase considerably and make it challenging to deal with them. Here we give a pedagogical introduction to the topic and provide some tools to manage this complexity, and we will show how symmetries can be used as organizing principles.

24 pages, 9 figures

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