Recursive Graphical Construction of Feynman Diagrams and Their Multiplicities in phi^4- and in phi^2A-Theory

Abstract

The free energy of a field theory can be considered as a functional of the free correlation function. As such it obeys a nonlinear functional differential equation which can be turned into a recursion relation. This is solved order by order in the coupling constant to find all connected vacuum diagrams with their proper multiplicities. The procedure is applied to a multicomponent scalar field theory with a phi^4-self-interaction and then to a theory of two scalar fields phi and A with an interaction phi^2 A. All Feynman diagrams with external lines are obtained from functional derivatives of the connected vacuum diagrams with respect to the free correlation function. Finally, the recursive graphical construction is automatized by computer algebra with the help of a unique matrix notation for the Feynman diagrams.