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Background fields meet the heat kernel: Gauge invariance and RGEs without diagrams

Debanjan Balui1,*, Joydeep Chakrabortty1,†, Christoph Englert2,‡, Subhendra Mohanty3,§, and Tushar1,∥

  • *Contact author: debanjanb22@iitk.ac.in
  • †Contact author: joydeep@iitk.ac.in
  • ‡Contact author: christoph.englert@manchester.ac.uk
  • §Contact author: subhendram@iiserb.ac.in
  • ∥Contact author: tushar25@iitk.ac.in
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Phys. Rev. D 113, 116040 – Published 29 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/mcpq-jckb

Abstract

We introduce a new method that exploits the combination of the heat kernel (HK) and background field method to compute gauge-invariant and gauge parameter-independent quantities such as the effective potential, anomalous dimensions, and renormalization group equations. In contrast to currently employed techniques, these results are obtained exclusively from the dynamics of the background fields, without relying on supplementary input from, e.g., traditional diagrammatic calculations. This is achieved by a consistent treatment of open and closed derivatives in the HK expansions. In this way, we compute the standard quantities such as β functions and their gauge-parameter independence when background fields are on-shell. We demonstrate this formalism for instructive examples such as scalar QED and Yukawa theory. Full results for the bosonic part of the Standard Model provide further validation of our approach.

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Phys. Rev. D 113, 116040– Published 29 June, 2026
  • Received 12 April 2026
  • Accepted 8 June 2026
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