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arxiv: 2312.01096 · v1 · pith:H2CKDWCPnew · submitted 2023-12-02 · ✦ hep-th · gr-qc· math-ph· math.MP

The Operator Product Expansion in Quantum Field Theory

classification ✦ hep-th gr-qcmath-phmath.MP
keywords opesfieldfieldsquantumcurveddotslocaloperator
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Operator product expansions (OPEs) in quantum field theory (QFT) provide an asymptotic relation between products of local fields defined at points $x_1, \dots, x_n$ and local fields at point $y$ in the limit $x_1, \dots, x_n \to y$. They thereby capture in a precise way the singular behavior of products of quantum fields at a point as well as their ``finite trends.'' In this article, we shall review the fundamental properties of OPEs and their role in the formulation of interacting QFT in curved spacetime, the ``flow relations'' in coupling parameters satisfied by the OPE coefficients, the role of OPEs in conformal field theories, and the manner in which general theorems -- specifically, the PCT theorem -- can be formulated using OPEs in a curved spacetime setting.

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