Vafa-Witten theorem and Lee-Yang singularities

Abstract

We prove the analyticity of the finite volume QCD partition function for complex values of the theta-vacuum parameter. The absence of singularities different from Lee-Yang zeros only permits ^ cusp singularities in the vacuum energy density and never v cusps. This fact together with the Vafa-Witten diamagnetic inequality implies the vanishing of the density of Lee-Yang zeros at theta=0 and has an important consequence: the absence of a first order phase transition at theta=0. The result provides a key missing link in the Vafa-Witten proof of parity symmetry conservation in vector-like gauge theories and follows from renormalizability, unitarity, positivity and existence of BPS bounds. Generalizations of this theorem to other physical systems are also discussed, with particular interest focused on the non-linear CPn sigma model.