Recursion relations in Witten diagrams and conformal partial waves

Abstract

Abstract We revisit the problem of performing conformal block decomposition of exchange Witten diagrams in the crossed channel. Using properties of conformal blocks and Witten diagrams, we discover infinitely many linear relations among the crossed channel decomposition coefficients. These relations allow us to formulate a recursive algorithm that solves the decomposition coefficients in terms of certain seed coefficients. In one dimensional CFTs, the seed coefficient is the decomposition coefficient of the double-trace operator with the lowest conformal dimension. In higher dimensions, the seed coefficients are the coefficients of the double-trace operators with the minimal conformal twist. We also discuss the conformal block decomposition of a generic contact Witten diagram with any number of derivatives. As a byproduct of our analysis, we obtain a similar recursive algorithm for decomposing conformal partial waves in the crossed channel.