Weak-Strong Resurgence Duality
Pith reviewed 2026-06-26 03:13 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
Weak and strong coupling expansions exhibit an explicit resurgent duality when one has zero radius of convergence and the other has infinite radius.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
We show that there is an explicit resurgent duality between weak and strong coupling expansions when one of the expansions has zero radius of convergence and the other has infinite radius of convergence. This complements the situation where the convergent expansion has finite radius of convergence, or when both expansions have zero radius of convergence. We illustrate this phenomenon for the Airy and Pearcey catastrophe integrals, and we apply it to two physical examples: the weak and strong coupling expansions of Dyson-Schwinger equations in zero-dimensional scalar phi^4 theories, and the short and long time expansions of the heat kernel trace for the fluctuation operator of the kink-antiki
What carries the argument
The explicit resurgent duality map that interchanges the Stokes phenomena between the zero-radius divergent expansion and the infinite-radius convergent expansion.
If this is right
- The duality applies to the Airy and Pearcey catastrophe integrals.
- The duality applies to the weak and strong coupling expansions of Dyson-Schwinger equations in zero-dimensional scalar phi^4 theories.
- The duality applies to the short and long time expansions of the heat kernel trace in the Gross-Neveu model.
- The new case complements existing resurgent dualities that involve finite-radius or double-zero-radius expansions.
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- The same map could be tested numerically by computing enough terms of one series and checking agreement with the other in the phi^4 or Gross-Neveu examples.
- The duality supplies a concrete way to move information from the divergent perturbative regime to the convergent non-perturbative regime in these models.
- Similar radius-complementary pairs may appear in other integrable or exactly solvable systems whose expansions are already known to satisfy the required functional forms.
Load-bearing premise
The specific functional forms and Stokes phenomena of the Airy, Pearcey, phi^4 Dyson-Schwinger, and Gross-Neveu heat-kernel expansions satisfy the radius-of-convergence conditions required for the duality map to hold without additional analytic continuation or sector-dependent adjustments.
What would settle it
A calculation showing that the resurgent transform of the weak-coupling Dyson-Schwinger series in the zero-dimensional phi^4 model fails to reproduce the known strong-coupling expansion.
Figures
read the original abstract
We show that there is an explicit resurgent duality between weak and strong coupling expansions when one of the expansions has zero radius of convergence and the other has infinite radius of convergence. This complements the situation where the convergent expansion has finite radius of convergence, or when both expansions have zero radius of convergence. We illustrate this phenomenon for the Airy and Pearcey catastrophe integrals, and we apply it to two physical examples: the weak and strong coupling expansions of Dyson-Schwinger equations in zero-dimensional scalar $\phi^4$ theories, and the short and long time expansions of the heat kernel trace for the fluctuation operator of the kink-antikink crystal saddle configuration in the Gross-Neveu model.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript claims to establish an explicit resurgent duality between weak-coupling expansions (zero radius of convergence) and strong-coupling expansions (infinite radius of convergence). It provides constructions for the Airy and Pearcey catastrophe integrals and applies the duality to the weak/strong expansions of Dyson-Schwinger equations in zero-dimensional φ⁴ theory and to the short/long-time expansions of the heat-kernel trace for the kink-antikink saddle in the Gross-Neveu model.
Significance. If the explicit maps and radius verifications hold, the result supplies a missing case in the taxonomy of resurgence dualities and furnishes concrete, verifiable examples in both pure mathematics and QFT. The case-by-case confirmation that the functional forms satisfy the zero/infinite radius conditions without extra analytic continuation strengthens the internal consistency of the argument.
minor comments (2)
- The abstract states that explicit constructions are given for four families, yet the main text should include a short table or summary paragraph that lists, for each example, the precise radius of the weak and strong series together with the explicit form of the duality map.
- Notation for the Stokes constants and the precise definition of the duality map (e.g., whether it acts on the Borel plane or on the asymptotic series directly) should be introduced once in a dedicated subsection and then used uniformly across the four examples.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for their positive summary of the manuscript and for recommending minor revision. No specific major comments appear in the report, so we have identified no points requiring response or revision at this time.
Circularity Check
No significant circularity; explicit constructions from radius properties
full rationale
The paper derives an explicit resurgent duality map from the stated radius-of-convergence conditions (zero vs. infinite) and verifies it case-by-case on Airy/Pearcey integrals plus the two QFT examples. No load-bearing step reduces by definition, by renaming a fit as a prediction, or by a self-citation chain whose content is unverified. The central claim remains independent of its inputs and is presented as a direct construction.
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
axioms (1)
- domain assumption Resurgence framework relating perturbative series, Borel sums, and transseries is valid for the listed models
Reference graph
Works this paper leans on
-
[1]
Pearcey 1: large-order behavior asy→+∞5
-
[2]
Pearcey 1: large-order duality asy→0 5
-
[3]
Second special Pearcey function:P 2 7
Refined duality for Pearcey 1 6 B. Second special Pearcey function:P 2 7
-
[4]
Pearcey 2: large-order/low-order duality asx→+∞7
-
[5]
fold”) and also the next catastrophe integral, the Pearcey integral (the “cusp
Pearcey 2: large-order duality asx→0 7 V. Physical Application: Dyson-Schwinger Equations 8 VI. Physical Application: Fluctuations about Kink-Antikink Crystals in the Gross-Neveu Model 9 VII. Generalized Pearcey Function 9 A. Generalized Pearcey 1: large-order/low-order dualities 9 B. Generalized Pearcey 2: large-order/low-order dualities 10 VIII. Mellin ...
Pith/arXiv arXiv 2026
-
[6]
, k→+∞(22) ∼ r 2 π Γ 3k+ 1 2 44 33 k" 1− 7 48 1 3k− 1 2 + 385 4608 1 3k− 1 2 3k− 3 2 − 39655 663552 1 3k− 1 2 3k− 3 2 3k− 5 2 +
Pearcey 1: large-order behavior asy→+∞ The formaly→+∞expansion ofP 1(y) leads to the factorially divergent asymptotic expansion: P1(y)∼ ∞X k=0 (−1)k Γ(4k+ 1) k! 1 y4k+1 , y→+∞(21) The large order (k→+∞) behavior of these coefficients can be expressed as a series of decreasing factorials: Γ(4k+ 1) k! ∼ r 2 π Γ 3k+ 1 2 44 33 k 1− 7 144k + 49 41472k2 + 47033...
-
[7]
Pearcey 1: large-order duality asy→0 They→0 expansion ofP 1(y) is factorially convergent, with an infinite radius of convergence: P1(y) = 1 4 ∞X n=0 (−1)n Γ n+1 4 n! yn , y→0 (24) 6 The coefficients in (24) can be expressed as a series of inverses of increasing factorials: 1 4 Γ n+1 4 n! ∼ r π 2 27 256 (n+1)/4 Γ 3(n+1) 4 + 1 2 1 + 7 36n − 455 2592n2 − 318...
-
[8]
Refined duality for Pearcey 1 Another perspective of the resurgent duality between the large order behavior of the largeyand smallyexpansions is given by noting thatP 1(y) can be expressed as the sum of 4 generalized hypergeometric functions: P1(y) = Γ 5 4 0F2 ; 1 2 , 3 4; y4 256 − 1 4 y√π 0F2 ; 3 4 , 5 4; y4 256 + +1 8 y2Γ 3 4 0F2 ; 5 4 , 3 2; y4 256 − 1...
-
[9]
(33) The large order (k→+∞) growth of these coefficients is: Γ 2k+ 1 2 k! ∼ 1√ 2π 4k Γ(k) 1− 3 16k + 9 512k2 + 39 8192k3 − 549 524288k4 +
Pearcey 2: large-order/low-order duality asx→+∞ The asymptotic expansion ofP 2(x) asx→+∞is: P2(x)∼ 1 2 ∞X k=0 (−1)k Γ 2k+ 1 2 k! 1 x2k+1/2 , x→+∞(32) ∼ 1 2 r π x 1− 3 16(x/2)2 + 105 512(x/2)4 − 3465 8192(x/2)6 +. . . (33) The large order (k→+∞) growth of these coefficients is: Γ 2k+ 1 2 k! ∼ 1√ 2π 4k Γ(k) 1− 3 16k + 9 512k2 + 39 8192k3 − 549 524288k4 +. ....
-
[10]
, n→+∞(37) = √π 2n 1 Γ(n/2 + 5/4) 1 + 3 16(n/2 + 5/4) + 105 512(n/2 + 5/4)(n/2 + 9/4) + 3465 8192(n/2 + 5/4)(n/2 + 9/4)(n/2 + 13/4)+
Pearcey 2: large-order duality asx→0 Thex→0 + expansion ofP 2(x) is factorially convergent, with an infinite radius of convergence: P2(x) = 1 4 ∞X n=0 (−x)n Γ(n/2 + 1/4) Γ(n+ 1) (36) The large order behavior of the coefficients is factorially decreasing: Γ(n/2 + 1/4) Γ(n+ 1) = √π 2n 1 Γ(n/2 + 5/4) 1 + 3 8n − 15 128n2 − 15 1024n3 + 1515 32768n4 +. . . , n→...
-
[11]
´Ecalle, In:Bifurcations and Periodic Orbits of Vector Fields(Springer, 1993) Chap
J. ´Ecalle, In:Bifurcations and Periodic Orbits of Vector Fields(Springer, 1993) Chap. Six Lectures on Transseries, Analysable Functions and the Constructive Proof of Dulac’s Conjecture
1993
-
[12]
Mitschi and D
C. Mitschi and D. Sauzin,Divergent series, summability and resurgence(Springer, 2016)
2016
-
[13]
J. c. v. C´ ıˇ zek, R. J. Damburg, S. Graffi, V. Grecchi, E. M. Harrell, J. G. Harris, S. Nakai, J. Paldus, R. K. Propin, and H. J. Silverstone, 1/R expansion for H 2 +: Calculation of exponentially small terms and asymptotics, Phys. Rev. A33, 12 (1986)
1986
-
[14]
Alvarez, C
G. Alvarez, C. J. Howls, and H. J. Silverstone, Anharmonic oscillator discontinuity formulae up to second-exponentially- small order, J. Phys. A: Math. Gen.35, 4003 (2002)
2002
-
[15]
J. Zinn-Justin and U. D. Jentschura, Multi-instantons and exact results I: Conjectures, WKB expansions, and instanton interactions, Annals Phys.313, 197 (2004), arXiv:quant-ph/0501136
Pith/arXiv arXiv 2004
-
[16]
J. Zinn-Justin and U. D. Jentschura, Multi-instantons and exact results II: Specific cases, higher-order effects, and numerical calculations, Annals Phys.313, 269 (2004), arXiv:quant-ph/0501137
Pith/arXiv arXiv 2004
-
[17]
M. Mari˜ no, R. Schiappa, and M. Weiss, Nonperturbative Effects and the Large-Order Behavior of Matrix Models and Topological Strings, Commun. Num. Theor. Phys.2, 349 (2008), arXiv:0711.1954 [hep-th]
Pith/arXiv arXiv 2008
-
[18]
M. Mari˜ no, Lectures on non-perturbative effects in largeNgauge theories, matrix models and strings, Fortsch. Phys.62, 455 (2014), arXiv:1206.6272 [hep-th]
arXiv 2014
-
[19]
G. V. Dunne and M. ¨Unsal, New Nonperturbative Methods in Quantum Field Theory: From Large-N Orbifold Equivalence to Bions and Resurgence, Ann. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci.66, 245 (2016), arXiv:1601.03414 [hep-th]
Pith/arXiv arXiv 2016
-
[20]
I. Aniceto, G. Ba¸ sar, and R. Schiappa, A Primer on Resurgent Transseries and Their Asymptotics, Phys. Rept.809, 1 (2019), arXiv:1802.10441 [hep-th]
arXiv 2019
-
[21]
M. V. Berry and C. J. Howls, Hyperasymptotics for integrals with saddles, Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. A434, 657 (1991)
1991
-
[22]
O. Costin and G. V. Dunne, Uniformization and Constructive Analytic Continuation of Taylor Series, Commun. Math. Phys.392, 863 (2022), arXiv:2009.01962 [math.CV]
arXiv 2022
-
[23]
J. L. Guillou and J. Zinn-Justin,Large-Order Behaviour of Perturbation Theory(North-Holland, 1990). 14
1990
-
[24]
S. Gukov, M. Mari˜ no, and P. Putrov, Resurgence in complex Chern-Simons theory, (2016), arXiv:1605.07615 [hep-th]
Pith/arXiv arXiv 2016
- [25]
-
[26]
G. Adams, O. Costin, G. V. Dunne, S. Gukov, and O. ¨Oner, Orientation reversal and the Chern-Simons natural boundary, JHEP08, 154, arXiv:2505.14441 [hep-th]
-
[27]
M. C. N. Cheng, S. Chun, F. Ferrari, S. Gukov, and S. M. Harrison, 3d Modularity, JHEP10, 010, arXiv:1809.10148 [hep-th]
-
[28]
M. C. N. Cheng, I. Coman, P. Kucharski, D. Passaro, and G. Sgroi, 3d Modularity Revisited, (2024), arXiv:2403.14920 [hep-th]
arXiv 2024
-
[29]
V. Fantini and C. Rella, Modular resurgent structures, (2024), arXiv:2404.11550 [math.NT]
arXiv 2024
-
[30]
C. M. Bender, F. Cooper, and L. M. Simmons, Nonunique Solution to the Schwinger-dyson Equations, Phys. Rev. D39, 2343 (1989)
1989
-
[31]
C. M. Bender, C. Karapoulitidis, and S. P. Klevansky, Dyson-Schwinger equations in zero dimensions and polynomial approximations, Phys. Rev. D108, 056002 (2023), arXiv:2307.01008 [math-ph]
arXiv 2023
-
[32]
D. J. Gross and A. Neveu, Dynamical Symmetry Breaking in Asymptotically Free Field Theories, Phys. Rev. D10, 3235 (1974)
1974
-
[33]
M. Thies, From relativistic quantum fields to condensed matter and back again: Updating the Gross-Neveu phase diagram, J. Phys. A39, 12707 (2006), arXiv:hep-th/0601049
Pith/arXiv arXiv 2006
-
[34]
G. Ba¸ sar, G. V. Dunne, and M. Thies, Inhomogeneous Condensates in the Thermodynamics of the Chiral NJL(2) model, Phys. Rev. D79, 105012 (2009), arXiv:0903.1868 [hep-th]
Pith/arXiv arXiv 2009
-
[35]
G. Dunne, H. Gies, K. Klingmuller, and K. Langfeld, Worldline Monte Carlo for fermion models at large N(f), JHEP08, 010, arXiv:0903.4421 [hep-th]
-
[36]
Costin and X
O. Costin and X. Xia, From the Taylor series of analytic functions to their global analysis, Nonlinear Analysis119, 106 (2015)
2015
-
[37]
G. B. Airy, On the intensity of light in the neighbourhood of a caustic, Trans. Camb. Phil. Soc.6, 379–402 (1838)
-
[38]
G. G. Stokes, On the numerical calculation of a class of definite integrals and infinite series, Trans. Camb. Phil. Soc.9, 166 (1856)
-
[39]
G. G. Stokes, On the discontinuity of arbitrary constants which appear in divergent developments, Trans. Camb. Phil. Soc.10, 105 (1864)
-
[40]
Berry and C
M. Berry and C. Howls, Infinity Interpreted, Physics WorldJune, 35 (1993)
1993
-
[41]
G. V. Dunne, Introductory Lectures on Resurgence: CERN Summer School 2024, The European Physical Journal Special Topics 10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02135-y (2025), arXiv:2511.15528 [hep-th]
work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02135-y 2024
-
[42]
Henrici,Applied and computational complex analysis
P. Henrici,Applied and computational complex analysis. Volume 2(John Wiley & Sons, 1977)
1977
-
[43]
R. B. Paris, The asymptotic behaviour of Pearcey’s integral for complex variables, Proc. R. Soc. Lond.432, 391 (1991)
1991
-
[44]
Flajolet and R
P. Flajolet and R. Sedgewick,Analytic Combinatorics(Cambridge University Press, 2009)
2009
-
[45]
Drukker and D
N. Drukker and D. J. Gross, An exact prediction of n=4 supersymmetric yang–mills theory for string theory, Journal of Mathematical Physics42, 2896–2914 (2001)
2001
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.