Quantum periods: A census of \phi^4-transcendentals

Abstract

Perturbative quantum field theories frequently feature rational linear combinations of multiple zeta values (periods). In massless \phi^4-theory we show that the periods originate from certain `primitive' vacuum graphs. Graphs with vertex connectivity 3 are reducible in the sense that they lead to products of periods with lower loop order. A new `twist' identity amongst periods is proved and a list of graphs (the census) with their periods, if available, is given up to loop order 8.