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Maggiore considers on page 136 in Section 5.6 Renormalization in the book A Modern Introduction to Quantum Field Theory, the resummation of tadpole diagrams as its own individual geometric series to give

$$\frac{i}{p^2-m^2-B}\tag{5.109}\label{1}$$

where $-iB$ is the contribution from a single tadpole diagram (see Fig. 5.11). This makes sense and is done by many books in order to find the renormalized mass to first order. However, he then does the same with the two-loop 'Saturn diagram' (see Fig. 5.13), again summing it as its own geometric series. Am I right in saying that it doesn't make sense to include Saturn diagrams up to all orders, but not the tadpole diagram at all, as a single Saturn diagram is of the same order as two tadpole diagrams?

For example, most books don't seem to do this but rather perform the resummation of all 1-particle irreducible diagrams $-i\Sigma(p)$ getting

$$\frac{i}{p^2-m^2-\Sigma(p)}\tag{2}$$

which gives back Eq. (\ref{1}) to first order.

Qmechanic
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Ghorbalchov
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1 Answers1

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Yes, OP has a point. On p. 130-131 and p .136 Maggiore is considering the connected 2-point function $G_c$ in $\lambda\phi^4$ theory, but he forgets to inform the reader that his counting of coupling constants $\lambda$ and loops refer to the self-energy $\Sigma$.

So e.g. the tadpole diagram Fig. 5.11 (which is more correctly called a self-loop diagram) and the Saturn/sunset diagram Fig. 5.13 contribute to $\Sigma$ at 1-loop and 2-loop, respectively.

OP already seems aware of the fact that $G_c$, $G_0$ and $\Sigma$ are connected via a geometric series, cf. e.g. this Phys.SE post and OP's eq. (2).

Qmechanic
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  • Thanks, I understand his wording now. But still, why does it make sense to sum e.g. the self-loop diagram to infinite order while missing all the other terms in the self-energy? – Ghorbalchov Mar 05 '22 at 14:14
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    Yeah, it doesn't make sense. – Qmechanic Mar 05 '22 at 14:21
  • @Qmechanic I agree it doesn't make much sense. Is the final result wrong, though? I mean, is resumming tadpoles and sunset separately wrong only conceptually or is what he gets genuinely wrong? – Mr. Feynman Aug 28 '23 at 11:55
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    There should also be mixed combinations of diagrams of self-loops and sunsets. – Qmechanic Aug 28 '23 at 12:28
  • Interesting. Checking the errata there is no mention of this mistake yet. He apparently gets away with it as from that moment on the explicit form of the self-energy is not used. I will try to report this to the author. – Mr. Feynman Aug 28 '23 at 12:59