Coordinate space representation for renormalization of quantum electrodynamics

Abstract

In this paper we present a systematic treatment for fundamental renormalization of quantum electrodynamics in real space. Although the standard renormalization is an old school problem in this case, it has not yet been completely done in position space. The most important difference with well-known differential renormalization is that we do the whole procedure in coordinate space without need to transformation to momentum space. Specially, we directly derive the conterterms in real space. This problem becomes important when the translational symmetry of the system breaks somehow explicitly (for example by nontrivial boundary condition (BC) on the fields). In this case, one is not able to move to momentum space by a simple Fourier transformation. Therefore, in the context of renormalized perturbation theory, by imposing the renormalization conditions, counterterms in coordinate space will depend directly on the fields BCs (or background topology). Trivial BC or trivial background lead to the usual standard conterterms. If the counterterms modify then the quantum corrections of any physical quantity are different from those in free space where we have the translational invariance. We also show that, up to order α, our counterterms are reduced to usual standard terms derived in free space.