Yangian symmetry, GKZ equations and integrable Feynman graphs in conformal variables

Abstract

We study the differential equations that follow from Yangian symmetry which was recently observed for a large class of conformal Feynman graphs, originating from integrable `fishnet' theories. We derive, for the first time, the explicit general form of these equations in the most useful conformal cross-ratio variables, valid for any spacetime dimension. This allows us to explore their properties in detail. In particular, we observe that for general Feynman graphs a large set of terms in the Yangian equations can be identified with famous GKZ (Gelfand-Kapranov-Zelevinsky) hypergeometric operators. We also show that for certain nontrivial graphs the relation with GKZ systems is exact, opening the way to using new powerful solution methods. As a side result, we also elucidate the constraints on the topology and parameter space of Feynman graphs stemming from Yangian invariance.