On some hypergeometric solutions of the conformal Ward identities of scalar 4-point functions in momentum space

Abstract

Abstract We discuss specific hypergeometric solutions of the conformal Ward identities (CWI’s) of scalar 4-point functions of primary fields in momentum space, in d spacetime dimensions. We determine such solutions using various dual conformal ansätze (DCA’s). We start from a generic dual conformal correlator, and require it to be conformally covariant in coordinate space. The two requirements constrain such solutions to take a unique hypergeometric form. They describe correlators which are at the same time conformal and dual conformal in any dimension. These specific ansätze also show the existence of a link between 3- and 4-point functions of a CFT for such class of exact solutions, similarly to what found for planar ladder diagrams. We show that in d = 4 only the box diagram and its melonic variants, in free field theory, satisfies such conditions, the remaining solutions being nonperturbative. We then turn to the analysis of some approximate high energy fixed angle solutions of the CWI’s which also in this case take the form of generalized hypergeometric functions. We show that they describe the behaviour of the 4-point functions at large energy and momentum transfers, with a fixed −t/s. The equations, in this case, are solved by linear combinations of Lauricella functions of 3 variables and can be rewritten as generalized 4K integrals. In both cases the CWI’s alone are sufficient to identify such solutions and their special connection with generalized hypergeometric systems of equations.