OPTIMIZED POST GAUSSIAN APPROXIMATION IN THE BACKGROUND FIELD METHOD

Abstract

We have extended the variational perturbative theory based on the background field method to include the optimized expansion of Okopinska and the post Gaussian effective potential of Stansu and Stevenson. This new method provides a much simpler way to compute the correction terms to the Gaussian effective action (or potential). We have also renormalized the effective potential in 3+1 dimensions by introducing appropriate counterterms in the Lagrangian.