PROOF OF THE 3-IRREDUCIBILITY OF THE

THIRD LEGENDRE TRANSFORM

Yu. M. Pisrmak

The i t e r a t i v e solution of the equations of motion [6] for the third L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m is

analyzed and it is shown that the g r a p h s obtained in the p r o c e s s of iterating these equations
a r e 3-irredlac!ble. Knowledge of the s y m m e t r y coefficients of the graphs is not r e -
quired for the proof.

1. Introduction
The technique of functional L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s enables one to reduce the p r o b l e m of c a l c u l a -
ting G r e e n ' s functions in s t a t i s t i c s and field t h e o r y to the solution of a variational p r o b l e m - the finding
of the s t a t i o n a r i t y points of a c e r t a i n functional. Functional L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s w e r e introduced
in s t a t i s t i c s in [1-2] and t h e i r use in field t h e o r y was studied in [3-4].
L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s allow a d i a g r a m m a t i c r e p r e s e n t a t i o n of the type of "skeleton" g r a p h s , and
it can be shown that the c o r r e s p o n d i n g d i a g r a m s have the p r o p e r t y of m - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y [2] (the definitions
a r e given l a t e r ) , w h e r e m is the o r d e r of the L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n under consideration. This a s s e r -
tion was proved form--- 4 in [2] by means of v e r y complicated combinatorial t h e o r e m s that r e q u i r e one to
calculate the s y m m e t r y coefficients of the g r a p h s . In [5], a s i m p l e r p r o o f of the i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of the
g r a p h s of the f i r s t and second L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m s was given. This p r o o f is based on an analysis o f the
i t e r a t i v e solution of the equations of motion for the L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m s (analog of the Schwinger e q u a -
tions for the Greenvs functions) and does not r e q u i r e one to calculate the coefficients of the graphs.
In the p r e s e n t p a p e r we g e n e r a l i z e the p r o o f of [5] to the c a s e of the third L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m and
p r o v e the 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of the c o r r e s p o n d i n g g r a p h s . We do not i m p o s e r e s t r i c t i o n s on the f o r m of the
interaction, allowing v e r t i c e s with any n u m b e r of legs (in [2] v e r t i c e s with m o r e than four legs w e r e not
cons idered).

2. D e f i n i t i o n
As in [5], we consider the t h e o r y of a single s c a l a r field. The point of d e p a r t u r e is the generating

functional of the GreenTs functions G = ~ exp(iS)Dq, where iS = 2 Aldpk' in which A k a r e independent

potentials (for convenience we include in t h e m the f a c t o r s i), and Akr k, as w h e r e e v e r such e x p r e s s i o n s

a r e encountered, is a convolution:

The integral in the definition of G is a F e y n m a n functional integral [7]. We do not write in front of it the
n o r m a l i z a t i o n f a c t o r e x p ( - 1 / 2 T r l n / X ) , w h e r e / ~ - - A 2 1 is the b a r e p r o p a g a t o r , and t h e r e f o r e G is the
sum of all vacuum loops with v e r t i c e s Ak, k r 2, and l i n e s / x multiplied by e x p ( 1 / 2 T r l n L x ) , and the d e r i -
vatives of G with r e s p e c t to A1 of c o r r e s p o n d i n g o r d e r give, to within this factor, the total (unconnected,
together with vacuum loops) G r e e n ' s functions of the theory with the action S.

A. A. Zhdanov Leningrad State University. T r a n s l a t e d f r o m T e o r e t i c h e s k a y a i M a t e m a t i c h e s k a y a

Fizika, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 299-309, March, 1974. Original a r t i c l e submitted F e b r u a r y 15, 1973.

9 19 75 Plenum Publishing Corporation, 227 West 17th Street, New York, N. Y. 100t t. No part o f th& publication may be reproduced, 1
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, [
recording or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. A copy of this article is available from the publisher/or $1.5.00. ]

211
 T h e quantity W = l n G can be r e p r e s e n t e d as the s u m of 1 / 2 T r l n A and all c o n n e c t e d v a c u u m loops.
The d e r i v a t i v e s of W with r e s p e c t to A 1 give the c o n n e c t e d G r e e n ' s functions:
~ikW

T h e L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m of the g e n e r a t i n g functional of the com'~ected G r e e W s functions is defined

as follows. We i n t r o d u c e the functional

O (A,, ... , A ~ ) ~ W ( A ~ . . . . . A ~ ) - ~ - ~ k~W A ~" (2)

If in (2) we now s e t A k =Ak(fl t . . . . . tim, A m + t . . . . . An) , k = 1 . . . . . m, w h e r e A 1. . . . . Am a r e d e -

t e r m i n e d f r o m the f i r s t m equations (1) and we a s s u m e that fil . . . . . tim, Am +1 . . . . . An a r e new inde-
pendent v a r i a b l e s , we obtain the functional L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m of o r d e r m: F(m)(fl; A). T h e t r a n s f o r m
F(m) s a t i s f i e s equations of motion [6] whose i t e r a t i v e solution has the f o r m

rc~).=r~"+rF',
w h e r e r~ m) is the t r i v i a l p a r t , which can be written out explicitly, and r} m) is an infinite sum of g r a p h s
of the type of v a c u u m loops, though not o r d i n a r y ones but "skeleton,' o n e s , i.e., d r e s s e d wikh r e s p e c t to the
potentials with r e s p e c t to which the L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n is made. A line in t h e s e g r a p h s is the c o m -
plete propagator/32 (for m > 1; for m = 1 it is the b a r e p r o p a g a t o r s I n s t e a d of the u n r e u o r m 2 4 i z e d v e r -
t i c e s At, A 3 . . . . . A n we have the total v e r t i c e s ~-l, if3 . . . . ~-n (connected G r e e n ' s functions without e x t e r -
nal l i n e s : ffk--/3kfi2 k), o r , if it is a s s u m e d that ill, fi3 . . . . . f~m, A m + i . . . . . A n a r e vertices~ a line
joining the v e r t e x fik to the v e r t i c e s A s c o r r e s p o n d s to 1, a line joining the v e r t e x ~k c o r r e s p o n d s to fi~t
(A-i for m = 1), a line joining the v e r t e x A s c o r r e s p o n d s to ~2 (~' f o r m = 1). G r a p h s for the L e g e n d r e
t r a n s f o r m can be depicted in e x a c t l y the s a m e way as the o r d i n a r y v a c u u m loops of W p r o v i d e d one r e -
m e m b e r s the d i f f e r e n c e in the n a t u r e of the v e r t i c e s and lines.
(m)
T h e a s s e r t i o n p r o v e d in [5] is this: F i is the m - i r r e d u c i b l e p a r t of W! m), m = i, 2. w h e r e W~l)
9 (m). . ." "
=W~ 2) = W - 1 / 2 T r l n A - 1 / A i A A i. In o t h e r w o r d s , we obtain F 1 f f w e e h m m a t e f r o m the c o m p l e t e s e t
of g r a p h s w l m ) the m - i r r e d u c i b l e ones (m = 1, 2). A c o n n e c t e d g r a p h is said to be m - r e d u c i b l e if it d e -
c o m p o s e s into two n o n t r i v i a l p a r t s when any m o r l e s s of its lines a r e broken 9 A v e r t e x is r e g a r d e d as a
t r i v i a l graph. The t r i v i a l p a r t s r~m) have the following f o r m : F~ i) = ! / 2 T r l n f i 2 - 1 / 2 / ~ i ~ - ~ i , F~ = 1
/2TrlnA.
We shall show that r ~ 3 ) = 1 / 2 T r l n / 3 2 - 1 / 1 2 ~ 3 / 3 ~ ' ~ 3 ; r~3) = 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e p a r t of W}3), w h e r e Wl 3) is
W~2) without 1/12A3A3A3.

3. Iterative Solution of the Equations for F(3)

The equations for the L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m s in t e r m s of connected v a r i a b l e s a r e w r i t t e n down in [6],
The n u m b e r of equations is equal to the n u m b e r of independent a r g u m e n t s of F(m), i.e., n; they a r e d i -
vided into coupling equations of the f i r s t g r o u p ( m - l ) , coupling equations of the s e c o n d g r o u p ( n - m ) , and
the Schwinger equation (one).
In the c a s e of the t h i r d L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m , the coupling equations of the f i r s t g r o u p have the f o r m

O=-Q2~[I~-Q2~+3F3~. (3b)

H e r e and in what follows, a s u b s c r i p t s appended to F will denote the v a r i a t i o n a l d e r i v a t i v e of F with r e -

s p e c t to fis for s -< 3 and with r e s p e c t t o A s for s > 3; Qik -= Fik-Fi3F3-~F3k; [, k = !, 2.
We r e p r e s e n t t h e s e equations g r a p h i c a l l y :

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We have denoted F s by a circle with s inside it. The split c i r c l e s with i and k denote Fik and the square
with two triplets o f l i n e s denotes r~'31. In (4) we have not used, nor shall we use in what follows, different
notation for the lines f12, B~~, and I , since in each actual c a s e the nature of the line can be readily e s t a b -
lished.
The coupling equations of the second group a r e

r = _ l sI
i ~'(~ ..... ~); s=4 ...... n. (5)

On the right-hand side of (5) a s is the total G r e e n ' s function without vacuum loops e x p r e s s e d in t e r m s of
the connected G r e e n ' s functions fil . . . . . fis, where ill, fi2, fi3 a r e independent variables and the functions
fit . . . . . fin a r e e x p r e s s e d in t e r m s of F as follows. By definition

--t ~-t .
s=5, 9 9
,n (6)

The explicit f o r m of ~s(fil . . . . . fis) can be found from the relations

a(~)=exp~(~); ~(~)-~t+ ~, ~(~)-=y~,-~-.~,~. (7)

n=t ~=1

The Schwinger equation can be written in t e r m s of F as

n--! 1

( =r,. (8)

A p a r t i c u l a r solution of the inhomogeneous partial differential equation (3a) is 1 / 2 T r lnfl 2. The

general solution of the corresponding homogeneous equation is an a r b i t r a r y sum of skeleton graphs [6].
Thus, if the iterative solution for F is constructed as a sum of skeleton graphs and t / 2 T r lnfi2, Eq. (3a)
is automatically satisfied.
We multiply (3a) from the left by fin, Eq. (3b) from the left by f13, and we then subtract the f i r s t
f r o m the second:

Equations (5) and (9) a r e the final s y s t e m that must be solved by iteration (then I" is automatically obtained
as a sum of skeleton graphs and 1 / 2 T r l n ~ 2, so that (3a) is satisfied). Apart from (5) and (9), we r e q u i r e
the following obvious consequence of the Sehwinger equation (8): in the graphs F the vertex ~l can be joined
only to the vertices At . . . . . An; it follows from this that all the graphs Qil contain at l e a s t one of the
v e r t i c e s A 4. . . . . An.
We can iterate the s y s t e m (5) and (9) as follows. F i r s t , we find all graphs r that do not contain the
v e r t i c e s At . . . . . An, nor t h e r e f o r e , the v e r t i c e s ill, and we denote their contribution by F(fi; 0). F o r
this, the equation
2~,r,(~; 0)$,=~2-~(r=(8; 0)-r,,(~; 0)r,,-'(~; 0)r3,(~; 0)) $,, (10)
which is obtained by setting At . . . . . An = 0 in (9), is sufficient. After we have found F(fl; 0), we obtain
all the remaining g r a p h s F, whose contribution we denote by F(fl; A), as follows. Substituting into the
r i g h t - h a n d sides of (5) F(fi; 0) and integrating the resulting equations, we find the d i a g r a m s F(fi; A) that
contain only one of the v e r t i c e s At . . . . . An. Then, substituting into the right-hand sides of (5) all the
a l r e a d y existing d i a g r a m s F, ignoring the graphs on the right-hand sides of (5) in which the number of
v e r t i c e s At . . . . . An is not equal to unity, and integrating the resulting equations, we find all the graphs
F(B; A) that contain only two of the v e r t i c e s At . . . . . An, etc. In other words, the iteration is divided
into two p a r t s : 1) with r e s p e c t to the number of v e r t i c e s fi3; 2) with r e s p e c t to the number of v e r t i c e s At,
.... An (in the f i r s t p a r t we use Eq. (10), in the second Eq. (5)).

4. Proof of the 3-Irreducibility of r(fl; 0)

We r e w r i t e Eq. (10), which d e t e r m i n e s F(fl; 0):

(11)

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and we m a k e the f i r s t step of the i t e r a t t v e p r o c e d u r e . In the zeroth approximation, F = I / 2 T r i n ~ z o To
obtain the next a p p r o x i m a t i o n , we must substitute the zeroth into the right-hand side of (11); only F22: = - I
/2(fi2) -2 will contribute, so that the r i g h t - h a n d side of (11),

a c e g i
, (i2)

has the f o r m of the g r a p h (12b) with coefficient 1 / 2 in the f i r s t approximation, f r o m which we obtain the
following: F is the g r a p h (12a) with coefficient - 1 / 1 2 (it m u s t be r e m e m b e r e d that a line in the g r a p h s
F(fl; 0) is the r e c i p r o c a l p r o p a g a t o r fi[1, so that differentiation of the graphs with r e s p e c t to ~2 amounts to
cutting the line and r e v e r s i n g the sign: 5fi2-i/sf12 = - (fl2)-2).
In the following, second, approximation (fourth o r d e r in the v e r t i c e s ) , we obtain, substituting into
the right-hand side of (11) the g r a p h s of the foregoing approximation, the graphs (12f) and (12d) with c o e f -
ficients 1 / 2 f r o m the t e r m ~3r22~3and the g r a p h (12f) with c o e f f i c i e n t - 1 / 2 and the g r a p h tl2d) with c o e f -
f i c i e n t - 1 f r o m the t e r m f13F23F731F32f13. The g r a p h s of the f o r m (i2f) cancel, and 2F2 is (12d) with the
c o e f f i c i e n t - 1 / 2 and F is (lc) with coefficient 1 / 2 4 .
At this stage we can a l r e a d y see how the difficulty a r i s e s . All the graphs F that we obtain a r e 3-
i r r e d u c i b l e but if the g r a p h s (12f) did not cancel they would give the 2 - r e d u c i b l e d i a g r a m (12e) in F. This
r e m a i n s t r u e in higher o r d e r s : the right-hand side of (11) contains both "good" and "bad" graphs (tile good
ones a r e those that make a 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e contribution to F while the bad ones make a 3 - r e d u c i b l e con,
tribution), and to p r o v e that r is 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e we m u s t show that on the right-hand side of (11) the bad
g r a p h s cancel in any o r d e r .
This difficulty did not a r i s e in the s i m i l a r p r o o f of the 1- and 2 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y in [5] b e c a u s e all the
g r a p h s on the right-hand side of the equation of type (11) w e r e good and g e n e r a t e d contributions with the
d e s i r e d p r o p e r t i e s of irreducibility, so that the need to p r o v e the canceling did not a r i s e .
Analyzing the p r o c e d u r e of the iterations (11), we can r e a d i l y show (see what follows) that all the:
bad graphs on the right-hand side of (11) belong to one of the following two types: (12j) or (12k) (the bad
g r a p h (12f) belongs to the f i r s t type, while graphs of the second type a p p e a r in higher o r d e r s ) . The shaded
blocks in (12j) and (12k) have good p r o p e r t i e s , namely, if one joins the ends of the external lines of these
blocks one obtains 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e d i a g r a m s .
We wish to p r o v e the canceling of the bad d i a g r a m s in (11), and, m o r e o v e r , in such a way that we
do not need to know the s y m m e t r y coefficients of the graphs. This wilt be done by induction, n a m e l y , we
show that the 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of the graphs F in a certain o r d e r follows f r o m the 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of the
g r a p h s of the foregoing o r d e r (it is a l r e a d y known that the f i r s t graphs F a r e 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e ) .
We denote by F 2n the contribution to F of o r d e r 2n (2n is the n u m b e r of v e r t i c e s ) and We denote by
L zn the right-hand side of (11) in the s a m e o r d e r . W e can d e t e r m i n e L 2n f r o m known r 2k , k < n.
The complete proof is made up of the following a s s e r t i o n s :
1) if F 2k, k < n, is 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e , then all the graphs L 2n a r e : a) 1 - i r r e d u c i b l e ; b) the 2 - i r r e d u c i b l e
ones have the f o r m (12j);
2) f r o m 1 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of L 2n t h e r e follows 2 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of F2n;
3) f r o m 2 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of F 2n t h e r e follows canceling of all the bad graphs L 2a of the type (12j)0:
which together with lb) p r o v e s the 2 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of L2n;
4) f r o m the 2 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of L 2n t h e r e follows the 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of 1~2n (which p r o v e s by 3 ) t h e
canceling of the g r a p h s (12k)).
We begin with the p r o o f of A s s e r t i o n s 2 and 4. Suppose that F m contains 2 , r e d u c i b l e graphs; we
shall show that L m then n e c e s s a r i l y contains 1 - r e d u c i b l e graphs. L e t A be a certain 2 - r e d u c i b l e graph
of F 2n. The c o r r e s p o n d i n g contribution to L 2n is obtained by differentiating this g r a p h with r e s p e c t t0 fl~,

214
which gives a s u m of g r a p h s each of which is obtained by b r e a k i n g any line ~ of the original graph:

We note first that for two different graphs A andA' none of the terms of the sum L~ can be equivalen~
to any t e r m L ~ , of the other sum. Indeed, the original g r a p h A(A') can be obtained f r o m any t e r m L ~
(L~',) of the c o r r e s p o n d i n g sum; f o r this it is sufficient to join ends of the externM lines of L ~ (L~',).
Th'erefore, the equivalence of any L E T, or L ~ would entail equivalence of A and A', which cont~radi'cts the
assumption.
Turning now to the p r o o f of A s s e r t i o n 2, we r e p r e s e n t g r a p h i c a l l y the sum of the 2 - r e d u c i b l e d i a -
g r a m s in the f o r m (12g). To obtain the c o r r e s p o n d i n g contribution to L, we m u s t differentiate t h e s e g r a p h s
with r e s p e c t to fi2, which gives among o t h e r s the 1 - r e d u c i b l e d i a g r a m s of the f o r m (12h5. It remains" to
note that the 1 - r e d u c i b l e d i a g r a m s (12h) cannot cancel, since the ones that a r e obtained by differentiating
different g r a p h s (12g) a r e topologically inequivalent, while those that a r e obtained by differentiating one
fixed g r a p h enter (12h) with the s a m e sign.
Thus, the p r e s e n c e of 2 - r e d u c i b l e g r a p h s in F 2n n e c e s s a r i l y entails the a p p e a r a n c e of 1 - r e d u c i b l e
g r a p h s in L m, which p r o v e s A s s e r t i o n 2. A s s e r t i o n 4 is p r o v e d s i m i l a r l y .
E s s e n t i a l l y , A s s e r t i o n 3 is obvious: if the g r a p h s {12j) did not cancel, they would give in F a 2-
r e d u c i b l e contribution of the f o r m (12i).
We m u s t e m p h a s i z e that A s s e r t i o n s 2-3, despite t h e i r a p p a r e n t simplicity, a r e nontrivial; for
knowing only that the r i g h t - h a n d side of (115 contains no 1 - r e d u c i b l e graphs we know a u t o m a t i c a l l y that it
also has no 1 - i r r e d u c i b l e g r a p h s (12j).
The main p r o b l e m now is to p r o v e A s s e r t i o n 1. Thus, suppose F is 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e up to s o m e o r d e r .
We p r o v e that all the d i a g r a m s of L ~n a r e 1 - i r r e d u c i b l e and in addition that all the 2 - r e d u c i b l e d i a g r a m s of
L 2n h a v e the f o r m (12j). We begin with the t e r m fi~F2~ 3 on the r i g h t - h a n d side of (11), which is obtained
by twofold application of the operation f135/Sf12 to the functional F. Graphically, the operation f135/Sfl 2
c o r r e s p o n d s to insertion of the v e r t e x f13 into a line. The d i a g r a m then a c q u i r e s one t r i v i a l 2-section (in
the original d i a g r a m t h e r e w e r e no 2-sections5 of the f o r m (1215 and one nontrivial 3 - s e c t i o n of the f o r m
(12m). Note that this is also t r u e for the d i a g r a m s F(fi; A), since application to t h e m of the operation
fi35/5~2 means that the v e r t e x is i n s e r t e d only in the line fi~l, which joins the v e r t i c e s fi3 and the lines fi2
joining the v e r t i c e s A~ . . . . . A n. Under a r e p e a t e d application of this operation t h e r e can appear in this
d i a g r a m only one nontrivial 2 - s e c t i o n of the f o r m (12n). Thus, the contribution of the t e r m fi~F~2/~3 to the
r i g h t - h a n d side of (11) has the p r o p e r t i e s specified in A s s e r t i o n 1.
We now turn to the t e r m fi3F23F~F32~3. We note f i r s t that the g r a p h s of this t e r m a r e the p a r t of the
g r a p h s obtained by twofold application of the operation fi35/Sfi~ to the e x p r e s s i o n F3F~'~F 3 (the g r a p h s we
r e q u i r e a r e obtained by inserting a v e r t e x in each of the other f a c t o r s F~). Hence and f r o m our e a r l i e r
r e m a r k s on the p r o p e r t i e s of the " i n s e r t i o n " operation we see that to p r o v e A s s e r t i o n 1 it is sufficient to
p r o v e 2 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of all the g r a p h s F3F~-~F3, which we now do.
We s e p a r a t e f r o m iF the g r a p h of second o r d e r : F = 1/2Trlnf12-1/12fiJ3~3~3 + ~. Since F33 = - 1
/ 6 f l ~ 3 + ~33 (differentiation with r e s p e c t to f13 is e q u i v a l e n t t o t a k i n g a v e r t e x a w a y ) , iF~iF~IF3 can be r e p r e -
sented as the s e r i e s (the c i r c l e with two t r i p l e t s of lines d e n o t e s 4~33)

It is not difficult to see that the a s s u m e d 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of F entails 2 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of F 3 and

s i m i l a r l y 2 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of the g e n e r a l t e r m of the sum (13) (one m u s t a r g u e f r o m contradiction and use
the fact that the vacuum loops F3fla and f~3~33fi3 a r e 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e by hypothesis). One can also see that
although this is not n e c e s s a r y f o r the p r o o f of A s s e r t i o n 1 the only 3 - s e c t i o n s that r e d u c e the g r a p h s (13)
a r e sections with r e s p e c t to the explicitly s e p a r a t e d t r i p l e t s of lines joining the blocks in (135.
T h e s e r e m a r k s p r o v e the 2 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of IF3iF~'3~F3and with it A s s e r t i o n 1.

5. Proof of the 3-Irreducibility of F(fi; A)

To obtain the graphs F(p; A5 we m u s t iterate Eqs. (5). As we have a l r e a d y said, the right-hand
sides of (5), a r e , to within a factor, the unconnected G r e e n ' s functions a s (s = 4 . . . . . n) e x p r e s s e d in

215
t e r m s of the connected functions fil . . . . . fls, in which fii, fi2, ~3 a r e independent variables and fi4~ . 9 o 0 fis
a r e graphs.
To find F(f~; A) in the o r d e r k (we shall say that the o r d e r of a g r a p h F{~; A) is the num-
b e r of its v e r t i c e s A4. . . . . An) , we must calculate the right-hand sides of (5) in the o r d e r k - ! . The
general s t r u c t u r e of the d i a g r a m s that a r i s e f r o m the iteration p r o c e s s can be r e p r e s e n t e d in the f o r m of
(14a):

(3_4)

b e h k

The individual blocks in (14a) denote the connected G r e e n ' s functions ~k, 3 < k-< n. F r o m this it is c l e a r
that the p r o b l e m reduces to proving the 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of objects of the type (14c), where m > 3, i.e.,
of the connected G r e e n ' s ftmctions with ends of the external lines collected at a point.
We shall again use induction for the proof, namely, we shall show that 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of F(fi; A)
up to a certain o r d e r guarantees 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of the objects (14c), and t h e r e f o r e 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of
F(fi; A) in the next o r d e r .
In the zeroth approximation we must calculate ilk, 3 < k -< n, from the functional Y(fi; 0), whose
3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y has already been proved. In a c c o r d a n c e with (6), Pk = Dk'3~3, where k = 4 . . . . . n. The
o p e r a t o r D is given by the relations (6), in p a r t i c u l a r ,

~,=D~,=-r.-,r,,~.-r,,-'r,.~,= .~o 6"" ~ ..~- +k,=O

"~ 6 ~*' : ~ ' j - . - - ~ ] ~ : ~ (i5)

As we pointed out at the end of the foregoing section, 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of F(fl; 0) enables us to a s s e r t : t h a t

the only 3 - r e d u c i n g sections in the expression (13) a r e explicitly s e p a r a t e d triplets of lines joining blocks.
It is t h e r e f o r e clear that after the joining of the ends of the external lines in (15) at a point we Obtain 3 '
irreducible d i a g r a m s , as is required. This assertion remains true for the higher o r d e r s in the number of
v e r t i c e s A4 . . . . . An, since all the arguments at the end of the foregoing section remain true in this case;
Thus, if F(fi; A) up to some o r d e r is 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e , so is the connected f o u r - l e g d i a g r a m (t4b).
We now turn to the higher functions ilk, k ->-5. In a c c o r d a n c e with (6), the functions ~k can be ob-
tained by applying k - 4 times the operation
6 6 6

to the function fi4 (fi4 in (16) is understood as (15)). To prove the 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y (when the ends of the
external lines are joined at a point) of ilk, k ->-5, it is sufficient to show that 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y (in the given
sense) of tim, m >- 4, entails 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of ~m +t.
By what we have said above tim +l = Dflm. If we s e p a r a t e out explicitly in tim the vertex fil or the
line 62, fi~l: (14f) and (14g), and join at one point the ends of the external lines of the d i a g r a m s (~35/5fl 2
+ fi26/6fil)fim contained in tim +1, they will have the form (140 and (14j). F r o m the a s s u m e d 3 ' i r r e d u c i b i I -
ity of (14c) there follows 3 - i r r e d u c i b U i t y of (14i) and (14j). To prove this, it is sufficient to take into a c -
count the p r o p e r t i e s of the operation fi36/hfl 2 and the fact that differentiation of the d i a g r a m with r e s p e c t
to ~1 (removal of the v e r t e x f~t) does not affect its reducibility p r o p e r t i e s .
In tim we now explicitly separate the vertex fi3: (14h); then, apart from (14i) and (14j) there are orgy
graphs of the f o r m (14k) in the connected m + l - l e g d i a g r a m with ends of the external lines joined a t a
point. Let us prove their 3 - i r r e d u e i b i l i t y . We note f i r s t that from the 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of (14b) a~d (14e)
t h e r e follows, as can r e a d i l y be seen, the 1 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of fit and the 2 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of (t4d), and:when
one line is broken in these graphs only the vertex fil is r e m o v e d (this is proved by contradietionL We split
the lines of the d i a g r a m (14k) into two groups: the f i r s t contains all the external and internal lines of fi4
and the second contains all the remaining lines of {14k). Then if there is a reducing 3-section in (t4k), one
can have the following four c a s e s :

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 1) all the lines of this section belong to the f i r s t group;
2) two lines belong to the f i r s t group and one to the second;
3) one line belongs to the f i r s t group and two to the second;
4) all lines belong to the second group.
The f i r s t c a s e cannot occur, for o t h e r w i s e the section with r e s p e c t to the s a m e lines in (14b) would
be reducing (the connected d i a g r a m (14d) can be r e p l a c e d in this case by a vertex). The second case cannot
hold either, for breaking of one line in (14b) e i t h e r l e a v e s the d i a g r a m connected or l e a d s to the r e m o v a l
f r o m it of the v e r t e x ill, and the r e d u c i b i l i t y p r o p e r t i e s of the entire d i a g r a m (14k) a r e not affected. F u r -
t h e r , we m u s t a r g u e as in the f i r s t c a s e . The p r o o f of the impossibility of c a s e s 3 and 4 is s i m i l a r (case
4 is s i m i l a r to c a s e 1, case 3 to c a s e 2).
Thus, the 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of (14k) is p r o v e d and this c o m p l e t e s the p r o o f of the 3 - i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of
the g r a p h s of the third L e g e n d r e t r a n s f o r m .

6. C o e f f i c i e n t s of the Graphs F
Thus, we have shown that all the g r a p h s F a r e 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e . We n o w s h o w that F contains ( m o r e .
o v e r , with the s a m e coefficients) all the 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e vacuum loops, i.e., the g r a p h s W (with certain
exceptions, which will be pointed out).
B y definition,

P([~,, [~,,13,,A, .... ,A,,)=W--~.o~,A~---~..o~v4,---o~

3! *'

w h e r e a l , c~2, ~3 a r e defined as funetionals of fit, /~2, /~3 b y the r e l a t i o n s (7). We denote by Fnt the n o n -
t r i v i a l p a r t of F: F = F 0 + Fnt, where F 0 = 1/2Trlnf12-1/12fifi~3/33. We also define the nontrivial p a r t of
W(Wt): W = W 0 + W 1, w h e r e

1 I + Is; ~ + 1 " +I O 9 (:7)

We recall that the graphs W have the bare propagator A = - A : i as line and Ak, k ~ 2, as vertices. We
wish to show that
Fnt : 3-Jr part ofWi = W1-all 3-reducible graphs of Wv

F o r this it is obviously sufficient to show that

3-Jr part of (W,--Fnt) =0,
since we have a l r e a d y shown that Fnt = 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e p a r t of Fnt.
When c o m p a r i n g the g r a p h s F and W we a s s u m e that fit, fi2, fi3 a r e independent v a r i a b l e s and we r e -
g a r d At, A 2, A 3 a s ftmctionals o f f i i , f12, f13, A4 . . . . . A n , which a r e defined by the r e l a t i o n s [6]

A,=-
it 6F = - f i r 6F 6 ~

Hence
A3=~3~-~+A3", A2=--~2-'+A/, A,=[~C'~,+A/. (18)

H e r e , A~, A~, A~ can be e x p r e s s e d in t e r m s of the d e r i v a t i v e s of F and a r e s u m s of nontrivial g r a p h s .

We note, f i r s t , that for the calculation of the 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e p a r t of W 1 the potentials At, A2, A 3 can
be r e p l a c e d by the f i r s t t e r m s on the r i g h t - h a n d sides of (!8) and one can ignore the contributions of A~,
A~, A~, since all the c o r r e c t i o n s that d e r i v e f r o m them consist of 3 - r e d u c i b l e graphs (allowance for A[,
A~, A~ c o r r e s p o n d s to inserting nontrivial v e r t e x p a r t s (A~), s e l f - e n e r g y p a r t s (A~), and a tadpole (A[),
which n e c e s s a r i l y g e n e r a t e 3-reducibility). In other words, the 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e p a r t of W t is not affected
if the b a r e g r a p h s o f W 1 a r e r e p l a c e d by skeleton graphs, i.e., the s a m e as the g r a p h s F. Thus, we must
show that
3-ir part ofi(FoTa,A,+i/2o~2A2T'Aa~A3--Wo)=0, (19)

217
We begin to consider s u c c e s s i v e l y the g r a p h s o f W o. E x p r e s s i n g At, A2, A3 in them in t e r m s of~i~" b32~ ~3
b y m e a n s of (18), we r e a d i l y obtain

3-1r part of ;i/2A,AA,= 3-it part ofl(~,A,+~/2~)~Az),

3-it part of ~/6A3'(AA~)3=3-it part of ~/eA~i~
3-it part of I(A~A)A3A=3-ir part of ~,~A3,
3-it part of ~/~AsA3Aa=S-ir part of (~/6~A~-~/~2~2-3~3).
It is c l e a r f r o m this that the d i a g r a m s o f W 0 cancel in (19) all contributions except for 1/2~2A2~ To withhl
an unimportant constant, this is equal to 1/2f12A~, and this cancels with the l o g a r i t h m s :
l/2Tr In ~ ' i / 2 T r In h=l/2Tr In (~2([~-~--A 2' )) = / , T r In (t,~2A2').
R e p r e s e n t i n g the l o g a r i t h m as a s e r i e s , we see that a contribution to the 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e p a r t c o m e s f r o m
only the f i r s t t e r m of the expansion - 1 / 2 f i 2 A ~ as is r e q u i r e d if Eq. (19) is to hold.
Thus, we have shown that the functional F contains all 3 - i r r e d u c i b l e g r a p h s of W with the s a m e
coefficients, except for the graphs of W0, which do not o c c u r in F, and the g r a p h (12a), the s ign of which
changes.
I a m v e r y grateful to A. N. V a s i l ' e v for suggesting the p r o b ! e m and for his constant i n t e r e s t and
also to A. K. Kazanskii for helpful d i s c u s s i o n s .

LITERATURE CITED
1. C. De Dominicis, 5. Math. Phys., 3, 983 (1962).
2. C. De Dominicis and P. C. Martin, J. Math. Phys., 5, 14, 31 (1964).
3. G. J o n a - L a s i n i o , Nuovo Cim., 34, 1790 (1964).
4. H. D. Damen and G. J o n a - L a s i n i o , Nuovo Cim., 52A, 807 (1967L
5. A. N. V a s i l ' e v and A. K. Kazanskii, T e o r . Mat. FiZ., 12, 3 (i972).
6. A. N. V a s i l ' e v and A. K. Kazanskii, T e o r . Mat. Fiz., 14, 3 (t973).
7. R. 13. Feynman, Rev. Mod. Phys., 20, 376 (1947).

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