Read a functional renormalization-group diagram one symbol at a time. Lines connect fields; vertices encode their interactions. The four building blocks are the full propagator , the regulator insertion (circled cross), and the dressed three- and four-point vertices and (hatched discs), with all vertex momenta drawn flowing inward.
#import "@preview/cetz:0.5.3": canvas, draw
#import draw: circle, content, line
#let label-size = 12pt
#let paragraph-size = 14pt
#let heading-size = 16pt
#let card_body(title, body, caption) = block(
width: 100%,
inset: 12pt,
radius: 8pt,
fill: rgb("#cdd3da"),
breakable: false,
)[
#text(size: heading-size, weight: "bold", title)
#v(8pt)
// Measure unconstrained artwork before scaling, including content wider than its card.
#layout(size => {
let artwork = text(size: label-size, body)
std.scale(size.width / measure(artwork).width * 100%, reflow: true, artwork)
})
#v(7pt)
#text(size: paragraph-size, caption)
]
#let card-grid(columns: 2, ..cards) = layout(size => {
let rows = cards
.pos()
.chunks(columns)
.map(row => {
let ratios = row.map(card => {
let bounds = measure(text(size: label-size, card.at(1)))
bounds.width / bounds.height
})
let available = size.width - 12pt * (row.len() - 1) - 24pt * row.len()
grid(
columns: ratios.map(ratio => 24pt + available * ratio / ratios.sum()),
gutter: 12pt,
..row.map(args => card_body(..args)),
)
})
stack(dir: ttb, spacing: 12pt, ..rows)
})
#let takeaway(body) = block(
width: 100%,
inset: 12pt,
radius: 6pt,
fill: rgb("#c6d8d2"),
breakable: false,
text(size: paragraph-size, body),
)
#set page(width: 780pt, height: auto, margin: 22pt, fill: none)
#set text(font: "Avenir Next", size: paragraph-size, fill: rgb("#19324f"))
#set par(leading: 0.55em)
// Diagonal hatching marking a vertex as dressed rather than bare.
#let hatched = tiling(size: (.1cm, .1cm))[
#place(std.rect(width: 100%, height: 100%, fill: rgb("#cdd3da"), stroke: none))
#place(std.line(start: (0%, 100%), end: (100%, 0%), stroke: 0.4pt))
]
// The propagator and regulator insertion share external legs and momentum arrows.
#let two-point(regulator: false) = canvas(
length: if regulator { 2.3cm } else { 2.1cm },
{
let momentum-arrow = (
mark: (end: "stealth", fill: black, scale: .5),
stroke: (thickness: 0.75pt),
)
line((-2.25, 0), (2.25, 0), stroke: 1pt, name: "a-to-b")
content("a-to-b.start", $phi_a$, anchor: "east", padding: 3pt)
content("a-to-b.end", $phi_b$, anchor: "west", padding: 3pt)
for (idx, x-start) in ((1, -2), (2, 1)) {
line((x-start, 0.15), (x-start + 1, 0.15), ..momentum-arrow)
content((x-start + 0.5, 0.45), $p_#idx$)
}
if regulator {
content(
(0, 0),
text(size: 16pt, baseline: -0.3pt)[$times.o$],
stroke: none,
fill: rgb("#cdd3da"),
frame: "circle",
padding: -2.4pt,
name: "vertex",
)
} else {
circle((0, 0), radius: 0.25, fill: hatched, name: "vertex")
}
content(
(rel: (0, 0.5), to: "vertex"),
if regulator { $partial_t R_(k,a b)(p_1,p_2)$ } else { $G_(k,a b)(p_1,p_2)$ },
)
},
)
// Hatched n-point vertex at the origin with its legs, inward momentum arrows given as
// (start, end, label offset) and its Γ label.
#let vertex-figure(length, legs, arrows, label) = canvas(length: length, {
legs
for (idx, (start, end, label-offset)) in arrows.enumerate(start: 1) {
line(
start,
end,
mark: (end: "stealth", fill: black, scale: .3),
stroke: (thickness: 0.5pt),
name: "p" + str(idx),
)
content((rel: label-offset, to: "p" + str(idx)), $p_#idx$)
}
circle((0, 0), radius: 0.25, fill: hatched, name: "vertex")
content((rel: (0.35, -.05), to: "vertex"), label, anchor: "west")
})
#let three-point = vertex-figure(
2.85cm,
{
line((-2, 0), (0, 0), name: "in")
line((0, 0), (1.5, 1.5), name: "up")
line((0, 0), (1.5, -1.5), name: "down")
content("in.start", $phi_a$, anchor: "east", padding: 1pt)
content("up.end", $phi_b$, anchor: "south-west", padding: 1pt)
content("down.end", $phi_c$, anchor: "north-west", padding: 1pt)
},
(
((-1.7, 0.15), (-0.7, 0.15), (0, 0.3)),
((1.0, 1.2), (0.3, 0.5), (-0.3, 0.3)),
((1.4, -1.2), (0.6, -0.4), (0.3, 0.3)),
),
$Gamma_(k,a b c)^((3))(p_1,p_2,p_3)$,
)
// The four-point legs run along axes rotated by 45° so they point diagonally.
#let rot45(x, y) = ((x - y) / calc.sqrt(2), (x + y) / calc.sqrt(2))
#let four-point = vertex-figure(
3cm,
{
line(rot45(-2, 0), rot45(2, 0), name: "horiz")
line(rot45(0, 2), rot45(0, -2), name: "vert")
content("horiz.start", $phi_a$, anchor: "north-east", padding: -1pt)
content("horiz.end", $phi_c$, anchor: "south-west", padding: 1pt)
content("vert.start", $phi_b$, anchor: "south-east", padding: 1pt)
content("vert.end", $phi_d$, anchor: "north-west", padding: 1pt)
},
(
((-1.7, 0.15), (-0.7, 0.15), (-0.1, 0.3)),
((0.15, 1.7), (0.15, 0.7), (0.3, 0.2)),
((1.7, 0.15), (0.7, 0.15), (-0.1, 0.3)),
((0.15, -1.7), (0.15, -0.7), (0.3, 0.1)),
).map(((outer, inner, label-offset)) => (rot45(..outer), rot45(..inner), label-offset)),
$Gamma_(k,a b c d)^((4))(p_1,p_2,p_3,p_4)$,
)
Read a functional renormalization-group diagram one symbol at a time. Lines connect fields; vertices encode their interactions.
#v(14pt)
#card-grid(
(
[1 Propagator],
two-point(),
[The full propagator $G_k$ describes a two-point correlation at scale $k$. “Full” includes interaction corrections.],
),
(
[2 Regulator insertion],
two-point(regulator: true),
[The circled cross means $partial_t R_k$ with RG time $t = ln(k \/ Lambda)$: the change of the momentum cutoff. It is an insertion on a line, not a new particle.],
),
(
[3 Three-point vertex],
three-point,
[$Gamma_k^((3))$ couples three field legs. Each $p_i$ labels a momentum; letter indices label field components.],
),
(
[4 Four-point vertex],
four-point,
[$Gamma_k^((4))$ couples four field legs. The hatched disc marks a dressed vertex, including fluctuation effects.],
),
)
#v(12pt)
#takeaway[*Read the connections, then the labels.* $k$ is a coarse-graining scale; $Gamma_k$ is the effective action. Repeated internal indices are summed and loop momenta are integrated.]