Fractional Analytic Perturbation Theory in QCD and Exclusive Reactions

Different ``analytization'' procedures for the factorized pion form factor are discussed in comparison with the standard QCD perturbation theory at NLO. It is argued that demanding the analyticity of the exclusive amplitude as a \emph{whole}, entails insensitivity of the results on all scheme and scale-setting parameters, including the factorization scale. This enables us to develop an approach of optimized perturbation theory within the MS-bar scheme and to generalize the Analytic Perturbation Theory to non-integer (fractional) powers of the strong running coupling in the complex Q^2 plane