Renormalization Scheme Ambiguities in the Models with More than One Coupling

The process of renormalization to eliminate divergences arising in quantum field theory is not uniquely defined; one can always perform a finite renormalization, rendering finite perturbative results ambiguous. The consequences of making such finite renormalizations have been examined in the case of there being one or two couplings. In this paper we consider how finite renormalizations can affect more general models in which there are more than two couplings. In particular, we consider the Standard Model in which there are essentially five couplings. We show that in this model (when neglecting all mass parameters) if we use mass independent renormalization, then the renormalization group beta-functions are not unique beyond one loop order, that it is not in general possible to eliminate all terms beyond certain order for all these beta-functions, but that for a physical process all contributions beyond one loop order can be subsumed into the beta-functions.