We present a new, comprehensive global analysis of parton-to-pion fragmentation functions at next-to-leading order accuracy in QCD. The obtained results are based on the latest experimental information on single-inclusive pion production in electron-positron annihilation, lepton-nucleon deep-inelastic scattering, and proton-proton collisions. An excellent description of all data sets is achieved, and the remaining uncertainties in parton-to-pion fragmentation functions are estimated based on the Hessian method. Extensive comparisons to the results from our previous global analysis are performed.

We revisit the global QCD analysis of parton-to-kaon fragmentation functions at next-to-leading order accuracy using the latest experimental information on single-inclusive kaon production in electron-positron annihilation, lepton-nucleon deep-inelastic scattering, and proton-proton collisions. An excellent description of all data sets is achieved, and the remaining uncertainties in parton-tokaon fragmentation functions are estimated and discussed based on the Hessian method. Extensive comparisons to the results from our previous global analysis are made.

We present a detailed assessment of uncertainties in parton-to-pion and parton-to-kaon fragmentation functions obtained in recent global QCD analyses of single-inclusive hadron production data at next-to-leading order accuracy. We use the robust Lagrange multiplier approach for determining uncertainties to validate the applicability of the simpler but approximate Hessian method. Extensive comparisons of the results obtained within both methods are presented for the individual partonto-pion and kaon fragmentation functions. We provide Hessian eigenvector sets of pion and kaon fragmentation functions that allow one to easily propagate their uncertainties to any observable. Various applications of these sets are presented for pion and kaon production in electron-positron annihilation, lepton-nucleon scattering, and proton-proton collisions.