Light--like Wilson loops and gauge invariance of Yang--Mills theory in 1+1 dimensions

A light-like Wilson loop is computed in perturbation theory up to ${\cal O} (g^4)$ for pure Yang--Mills theory in 1+1 dimensions, using Feynman and light--cone gauges to check its gauge invariance. After dimensional regularization in intermediate steps, a finite gauge invariant result is obtained, which however does not exhibit abelian exponentiation. Our result is at variance with the common belief that pure Yang--Mills theory is free in 1+1 dimensions, apart perhaps from topological effects.