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In this note we study tree-level scattering amplitudes of gravitons under a natural deformation which in the large $z$ limit can be interpreted either as a $k$-hard-particle limit or as a $(n-k)$-soft-particle limit. When $k=2$ this becomes the standard BCFW deformation while for $k=3$ it leads to the Risager deformation. The hard- to soft-limit map we define motivates a way of computing the leading order behavior of amplitudes for large $z$ directly from soft limits. We check the proposal by applying the $k=3$ and $k=4$ versions to NMHV and N$^2$MHV gravity amplitudes respectively. The former reproduces in a few lines the result recently obtained by using CHY-like techniques in \cite{BCL}. The N$^2$MHV formula is also remarkably simple and we give support for it using a CHY-like computation. In the $k=2$ case applied to any gravity amplitude, the multiple soft-limit analysis reproduces the correct ${\cal O}(z^{-2})$ behavior while explicitly showing the source of the mysterious cancellation among Feynman diagrams that tames the behavior from the ${\cal O}(z^{n-5})$ of individual Feynman diagrams down to the ${\cal O}(z^{-2})$ of the amplitude., Comment: 18 pages

In this note we show how the solutions to the scattering equations in the NMHV sector fully decompose into subsectors in the $z\to \infty$ limit of a Risager deformation. Each subsector is characterized by the punctures that coalesce in the limit. This naturally decomposes the $E(n-3,1)$ solutions into sets characterized by partitions of $n-3$ elements so that exactly one subset has more than one element. We present analytic expressions for the leading order of the solutions in an expansion around infinite $z$ for any $n$. We also give a simple algorithm for numerically computing arbitrarily high orders in the same expansion. As a consequence, one has the ability to compute Yang-Mills and gravity amplitudes purely from this expansion around infinity. Moreover, we present a new analytic computation of the residue at infinity of the $n=12$ NMHV tree-level gravity amplitude which agrees with the results of Conde and Rajabi. In fact, we present the analytic form of the leading order in $1/z$ of the Cachazo-Skinner-Mason/CHY formula for graviton amplitudes for each subsector and to all multiplicity. As a byproduct of the all-order algorithm, one has access to the numerical value of the residue at infinity for any $n$ and hence to the corrected CSW (or MHV) expansion for NMHV gravity amplitudes., Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures, 1 table

In a recent paper, we defined generalized color orderings (GCO) and Feynman diagrams (GFD) to compute color-dressed generalized biadjoint amplitudes. In this work, we study the Cachazo-Early-Guevara-Mizera (CEGM) representation of generalized partial amplitudes and ``decoupling" identities. This representation is a generalization of the Cachazo-He-Yuan (CHY) formulation as an integral over the configuration space $X(k,n)$ of $n$ points on $\mathbb{CP}^{k-1}$ in generic position. Unlike the $k=2$ case, Parke-Taylor-like integrands are not enough to compute all partial amplitudes for $k>2$. Here we give a set of constraints that integrands associated with GCOs must satisfy and use them to construct all $(3,n<9)$ integrands, all $(3,9)$ integrands up to four undetermined constants, and $95 \%$ of $(4,8)$ integrands up to 24 undetermined constants. $k=2$ partial amplitudes are known to satisfy identities. Among them, the so-called $U(1)$ decoupling identities are the simplest ones. These are characterized by a label $i$ and a color ordering in $X(2,|[n]\setminus \{i\}|)$. Here we introduce decoupling identities for $k>2$ determined combinatorially using GCOs. Moreover, we identify the natural analog of $U(1)$ identities as those characterized by a pair of labels $i\neq j$, and a pair of GCOs, one in $X(k,|[n]\setminus \{i\}|)$ and the other in $X(k-1,|[n]\setminus \{j\}|)$. We call them {\it double extension} identities. We also provide explicit connections among different ways of representing GCOs, such as configurations of lines, configurations of points, and reorientation classes of uniform oriented matroids (chirotopes)., Comment: 40+17 pages, 17 figures. Ancillary data for GCOs, decoupling identities and integrands attached

The biadjoint scalar theory has cubic interactions and fields transforming in the biadjoint representation of ${\rm SU}(N)\times {\rm SU}\big({\tilde N}\big)$. Amplitudes are "color" decomposed in terms of partial amplitudes computed using Feynman diagrams which are simultaneously planar with respect to two orderings. In 2019, a generalization of biadjoint scalar amplitudes based on generalized Feynman diagrams (GFDs) was introduced. GFDs are collections of Feynman diagrams derived by incorporating an additional constraint of "local planarity" into the construction of the arrangements of metric trees in combinatorics. In this work, we propose a natural generalization of color orderings which leads to color-dressed amplitudes. A generalized color ordering (GCO) is defined as a collection of standard color orderings that is induced, in a precise sense, from an arrangement of projective lines on $\mathbb{RP}^2$. We present results for $n\leq 9$ generalized color orderings and GFDs, uncovering new phenomena in each case. We discover generalized decoupling identities and propose a definition of the "colorless" generalized scalar amplitude. We also propose a notion of GCOs for arbitrary $\mathbb{RP}^{k-1}$, discuss some of their properties, and comment on their GFDs. In a companion paper, we explore the definition of partial amplitudes using CEGM integral formulas.

The biadjoint scalar partial amplitude, $m_n(\mathbb{I},\mathbb{I})$, can be expressed as a single integral over the positive tropical Grassmannian thus producing a Global Schwinger Parameterization. The first result in this work is an extension to all partial amplitudes $m_n(\alpha,\beta)$ using a limiting procedure on kinematic invariants that produces indicator functions in the integrand. The same limiting procedure leads to an integral representation of $\phi^4$ amplitudes where indicator functions turn into Dirac delta functions. Their support decomposes into $\textrm{C}_{n/2-1}$ regions, with $\textrm{C}_q$ the $q^{\rm th}$-Catalan number. The contribution from each region is identified with a $m_{n/2+1}(\alpha,\mathbb{I})$ amplitude. We provide a combinatorial description of the regions in terms of non-crossing chord diagrams and propose a general formula for $\phi^4$ amplitudes using the Lagrange inversion construction. We start the exploration of $\phi^p$ theories, finding that their regions are encoded in non-crossing $(p-2)$-chord diagrams. The structure of the expansion of $\phi^p$ amplitudes in terms of $\phi^3$ amplitudes is the same as that of Green functions in terms of connected Green functions in the planar limit of $\Phi^{p-1}$ matrix models. We also discuss possible connections to recent constructions based on Stokes polytopes and accordiohedra., Comment: 40 pages, 10 figures

In the Grassmannian formulation of the S-matrix for planar $\mathcal{N}=4$ Super Yang-Mills, $N^{k-2}MHV$ scattering amplitudes for $k$ negative and $n-k$ positive helicity gluons can be expressed, by an application of the global residue theorem, as a signed sum over a collection of $(k-2)(n-k-2)$-dimensional residues. These residues are supported on certain positroid subvarieties of the Grassmannian $G(k,n)$. In this paper, we replace the Grassmannian $G(3,n)$ with its torus quotient, the moduli space of $n$ points in the projective plane in general position, and planar $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM with generalized biadjoint scalar amplitudes $m^{(3)}_n$ as introduced by Cachazo-Early-Guevara-Mizera (CEGM). Whereas in the Grassmannian formulation residues of the Parke-Taylor form correspond to individual BCFW, or on-shell diagrams, we show that each such $(n-5)$-dimensional residue of $m^{(3)}_n$ is an entire biadjoint scalar partial amplitude $m^{(2)}_n$, that is a sum over all tree-level Feynman diagrams for a fixed planar order. We propose a generalization which would give rise to identifications of $m^{(2)}_n$ inside $m^{(k)}_n$ for $k\ge 4$, via $(k-2)(n-k-2)$-dimensional residues. Our proof for $k=3$ uses the CEGM formula for $m^{(3)}_n$; it predicts a new Minkowski sum realization of the associahedron in terms of certain positroid polytopes in the second hypersimplex $\Delta_{2,n}$., Comment: 30 pages, 1 figure. Ancillary notebook with data and calculations

In this paper, we study a novel behavior developed by certain tree-level scalar scattering amplitudes, including the biadjoint, NLSM, and special Galileon, when a subset of kinematic invariants vanishes without producing a singularity. This behavior exhibits properties which we call $\textit{smooth splitting}$ and $\textit{semi-locality}$. The former means that an amplitude becomes the product of exactly three amputated Berends-Giele currents, while the latter means that any two currents share one external particle. We call these smooth splittings 3-splits. In fact, there are exactly $\binom{n}{3}-n$ such 3-splits, one for each generic, interior triangle in a polygon; as they cannot be obtained from standard factorization, they are a new phenomenon in Quantum Field Theory. In fact, the resulting splitting is analogous to the one first seen in Cachazo-Early-Guevara-Mizera (CEGM) amplitudes which generalize standard cubic scalar amplitudes from their ${\rm Tr}\, G(2,n)$ formulation to ${\rm Tr}\, G(k,n)$, where ${\rm Tr}\, G(k,n)$ is the tropical Grassmannian. Along the way, we show how smooth splittings naturally lead to the discovery of mixed amplitudes in the NLSM and special Galileon theories and to novel BCFW-like recursion relations for NLSM amplitudes., Comment: 49 pages, 13 figures. V2. Corrected typos; added Section 6.7 on smooth 2-splits in k=3 CEGM generalized amplitudes

The tropical Grassmannian ${\rm Trop}\, G(2,n)$ is known to be the moduli space of unrooted metric trees with $n$ leaves. A positive part can be defined for each of the $(n-1)!/2$ possible planar orderings, $\alpha$, and agrees with the corresponding planar trees in the moduli space, ${\rm Trop}^{\alpha}G(2,n)$. Motivated by a physical application we study the way ${\rm Trop}^{\alpha}G(2,n)$ and ${\rm Trop}^{\beta}G(2,n)$ intersect in ${\rm Trop}\, G(2,n)$. We define their intersection number as the number of unrooted binary trees that belong to both and construct a $(n-1)!/2\times (n-1)!/2$ intersection matrix. We are interested in finding the diagonal (up to permutations of rows and columns) submatrices of maximum possible rank for a given $n$. We prove that such diagonal matrices cannot have rank larger than $(n-3)!$ using the CHY formalism. We also prove that the bound is saturated for $n=5$ (the condition is trivial for $n=4$), that for $n=6$ the maximum rank is $4$, and that for $n=7$ the maximum rank is $\geq 14$. We also ask the following question: Is there a value $n_{\rm c}$ so that for any $n>n_{\rm c}$ the bound $(n-3)!$ is always saturated? We review and extend two relevant results in the literature. The first is the Kawai-Lewellen-Tye (KLT) choice of sets which leads to a $(n-3)!\times (n-3)!$ block diagonal submatrix with blocks of size $d\times d$ with $d = \lceil (n-3)/2\rceil !\lfloor (n-3)/2\rfloor !$. The second result is that the number of ${\rm Trop}^\alpha G(2,n)$'s that intersect a given one grows as $\exp(n\log (3+\sqrt{8}))$ for large $n$ which implies that the density of the intersection matrix goes as $\exp(-n(\log(n)-2.76))$. We interpret this as an indication that the generic behavior is not seen until $n \approx \exp (2.76)$, i.e. $n = 16$. We also find an exact formula for the number of zeros in a KLT block., Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures

In this paper we prove that points in the space $X(k,n)$ of configurations of $n$ points in $\mathbb{CP}^{k-1}$ which are fixed under a certain cyclic action are the solutions to the generalized scattering equations on planar kinematics (PK). In the first part, we give a constructive upper bound: we show that these solutions inject into certain aperiodic k-element subsets of $\{1,\ldots, n\}$, and consequently that their number is bounded above by the number of Lyndon words with k one's and n-k zeros. The proof uses a somewhat surprising connection between the superpotential of the mirror of $G(n-k,n)$ and the generalized CHY potential on $X(k,n)$. We also check the recent conjecture that generalized biadjoint amplitudes evaluate to $k$-dimensional Catalan numbers on PK for several examples including $k=3$ and $n\leq 40$ and $(k,n)=(6,13)$. We then reformulate the CEGM generalized biadjoint scalar amplitude directly as a Laplace transform-type integral over ${\rm Trop}^+ G(k,n)$ and we use it to evaluate the amplitude on PK with the purpose of exhibiting how GFD's glue together. We initiate the study of two minimal lattice polytopal neighborhoods of the planar kinematics point. One of these, the rank-graded root polytope $\mathcal{R}_{k,n}$, in the case $k=2$, is a projection of the standard type A root polytope. The other, denoted $\Pi_{k,n}$, in the case $k=2$, is a degeneration of the associahedron. We check up to and including $\mathcal{R}_{3,9}$ and $\mathcal{R}_{4,9}$ that the relative volume of $\mathcal{R}_{k,n}$ is the multi-dimensional Catalan number $C^{(k)}_{n-k}$, hinting towards the possibility of deeper geometric and combinatorial interpretations of $m^{(k)}(\mathbb{I}_n,\mathbb{I}_n)$ near the PK point., Comment: V2. 60 pages, 5 figures. Added Appendix A on Global Schwinger Parametrization

In this note we present a formula for the Cachazo-Early-Guevara-Mizera (CEGM) generalized biadjoint amplitudes for all $k$ and $n$ on what we call the minimal kinematics. We prove that on the minimal kinematics, the scattering equations on the configuration space of $n$ points on $\mathbb{CP}^{k-1}$ has a unique solution, and that this solution is in the image of a Veronese embedding. The minimal kinematics is an all $k$ generalization of the one recently introduced by Early for $k=2$ and uses a choice of cyclic ordering. We conjecture an explicit formula for $m_n^{(k)}(\mathbb{I},\mathbb{I})$ which we have checked analytically through $n=10$ for all $k$. The answer is a simple rational function which has only simple poles; the poles have the combinatorial structure of the circulant graph ${\rm C}_n^{(1,2,\dots, k-2)}$. Generalized biadjoint amplitudes can also be evaluated using the positive tropical Grassmannian ${\rm Tr}^+{\rm G}(k,n)$ in terms of generalized planar Feynman diagrams. We find perfect agreement between both definitions for all cases where the latter is known in the literature. In particular, this gives the first strong consistency check on the $90\,608$ planar arrays for ${\rm Tr}^+{\rm G}(4,8)$ recently computed by Cachazo, Guevara, Umbert and Zhang. We also introduce another class of special kinematics called planar-basis kinematics which generalizes the one introduced by Cachazo, He and Yuan for $k=2$ and uses the planar basis recently introduced by Early for all $k$. Based on numerical computations through $n=8$ for all $k$, we conjecture that on the planar-basis kinematics $m_n^{(k)}(\mathbb{I},\mathbb{I})$ evaluates to the multidimensional Catalan numbers, suggesting the possibility of novel combinatorial interpretations. For $k=2$ these are the standard Catalan numbers.

Very recently planar collections of Feynman diagrams were proposed by Borges and one of the authors as the natural generalization of Feynman diagrams for the computation of $k=3$ biadjoint amplitudes. Planar collections are one-dimensional arrays of metric trees satisfying an induced planarity and compatibility condition. In this work we introduce planar matrices of Feynman diagrams as the objects that compute $k=4$ biadjoint amplitudes. These are symmetric matrices of metric trees satisfying compatibility conditions. We introduce two notions of combinatorial bootstrap techniques for finding collections from Feynman diagrams and matrices from collections. As applications of the first, we find all $693$, $13\,612$, and $346\,710$ collections for $(k,n)=(3,7), (3,8),$ and $(3,9)$ respectively. As applications of the second kind, we find all $90\, 608$ and $30\,659\,424$ planar matrices that compute $(k,n)=(4,8)$ and $(4,9)$ biadjoint amplitudes respectively. As an example of the evaluation of matrices of Feynman diagrams, we present the complete form of the $(4,8)$ and $(4,9)$ biadjoint amplitudes. We also start the study of higher dimensional arrays of Feynman diagrams, including the combinatorial version of the duality between $(k,n)$ and $(n-k,n)$ objects., Comment: v3: 31 pages, 9 figures, references added, missing ancillary files in Dropbox link recovered

A generalization of the scattering equations on $X(2,n)$, the configuration space of $n$ points on $\mathbb{CP}^1$, to higher dimensional projective spaces was recently introduced by Early, Guevara, Mizera, and one of the authors. One of the new features in $X(k,n)$ with $k>2$ is the presence of both regular and singular solutions in a soft limit. In this work we study soft limits in $X(3,7)$, $X(4,7)$, $X(3,8)$ and $X(5,8)$, find all singular solutions, and show their geometrical configurations. More explicitly, for $X(3,7)$ and $X(4,7)$ we find $180$ and $120$ singular solutions which when added to the known number of regular solutions both give rise to $1\, 272$ solutions as it is expected since $X(3,7)\sim X(4,7)$. Likewise, for $X(3,8)$ and $X(5,8)$ we find $59\, 640$ and $58\, 800$ singular solutions which when added to the regular solutions both give rise to $188\, 112$ solutions. We also propose a classification of all configurations that can support singular solutions for general $X(k,n)$ and comment on their contribution to soft expansions of generalized biadjoint amplitudes., Comment: 27 + 7 pages, 14 figures, v2: added reference and cross-list with math.co

Tree-level Feynman diagrams in a cubic scalar theory can be given a metric such that each edge has a length. The space of metric trees is made out of orthants joined where a tree degenerates. Here we restrict to planar trees since each degeneration of a tree leads to a single planar neighbor. Amplitudes are computed as an integral over the space of metrics where edge lengths are Schwinger parameters. In this work we propose that a natural generalization of Feynman diagrams is provided by what are known as metric tree arrangements. These are collections of metric trees subject to a compatibility condition on the metrics. We introduce the notion of planar collections of Feynman diagrams and argue that using planarity one can generate all planar collections starting from any one. Moreover, we identify a canonical initial collection for all $n$. Generalized $k=3$ biadjoint amplitudes, introduced by Early, Guevara, Mizera, and one of the authors, are easily computed as an integral over the space of metrics of planar collections of Feynman diagrams., Comment: 27 pages, 11 figures

The CHY construction naturally associates a vector in $\mathbb{R}^{(n-3)!}$ to every 2-regular graph with $n$ vertices. Partial amplitudes in the biadjoint scalar theory are given by the inner product of vectors associated with a pair of cycles. In this work we study the problem of extending the computation to pairs of arbitrary 2-regular graphs. This requires the construction of compatible cycles, i.e. cycles such that their union with a 2-regular graph admits a Hamiltonian decomposition. We prove that there are at least $(n-2)!/4$ such cycles for any 2-regular graph. We also find a connection to breakpoint graphs when the graph only has double edges. We end with a comparison of the lower bound on the number of randomly selected cycles needed to generate a basis of $\mathbb{R}^{(n-3)!}$, using the super Catalan numbers, and our lower bound for compatible cycles., Comment: 20 pages, added some graph theory background definitions

In these notes we use the recently found relation between facets of tropical Grassmannians and generalizations of Feynman diagrams to compute all "biadjoint amplitudes" for $n=7$ and $k=3$. We also study scattering equations on $X(3,7)$, the configuration space of seven points on $\mathbb{CP}^2$. We prove that the number of solutions is $1272$ in a two-step process. In the first step we obtain $1162$ explicit solutions to high precision using near-soft kinematics. In the second step we compute the matrix of $360\times 360$ biadjoint amplitudes obtained by using the facets of ${\rm Trop}\, G(3,7)$, subtract the result from using the $1162$ solutions and compute the rank of the resulting matrix. The rank turns out to be $110$, which proves that the number of solutions in addition to the $1162$ explicit ones is exactly $110$., Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure and 6 ancillary files; minor revision

We introduce a natural generalization of the scattering equations, which connect the space of Mandelstam invariants to that of points on ${\mathbb{CP}^1}$, to higher-dimensional projective spaces $\mathbb{CP}^{k-1}$. The standard, $k=2$ Mandelstam invariants, $s_{ab}$, are generalized to completely symmetric tensors $\textsf{s}_{a_1a_2\ldots a_k}$ subject to a `massless' condition $\textsf{s}_{a_1a_2\cdots a_{k-2}\,b\,b}=0$ and to `momentum conservation'. The scattering equations are obtained by constructing a potential function and computing its critical points. We mainly concentrate on the $k=3$ case: study solutions and define the generalization of biadjoint scalar amplitudes. We compute all `biadjoint amplitudes' for $(k,n)=(3,6)$ and find a direct connection to the tropical Grassmannian. This leads to the notion of $k=3$ Feynman diagrams. We also find a concrete realization of the new kinematic spaces, which coincides with the spinor-helicity formalism for $k=2$, and provides analytic solutions analogous to the MHV ones., Comment: 27+7 pages. v2: typos corrected. Connection to trop G(3,7) added at end of section 4. Appendix with numerical seeds for all solutions to X(3,6) equations provided

In this paper we study an algebra that naturally combines two familiar operations in scattering amplitudes: computations of volumes of polytopes using triangulations and constructions of canonical forms from products of smaller ones. We mainly concentrate on the case of $G(2,n)$ as it controls both general MHV leading singularities and CHY integrands for a variety of theories. This commutative algebra has also appeared in the study of configuration spaces and we called it the $\Delta$-algebra. As a natural application, we generalize the well-known square move. This allows us to generate infinite families of new moves between non-planar on-shell diagrams. We call them sphere moves. Using the $\Delta$-algebra we derive familiar results, such as the KK and BCJ relations, and prove novel formulas for higher-order relations. Finally, we comment on generalizations to $G(k,n)$., Comment: 36+13 pages

We present new formulas for $n$-particle tree-level scattering amplitudes of six-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=(1,1)$ super Yang-Mills (SYM) and $\mathcal{N}=(2,2)$ supergravity (SUGRA). They are written as integrals over the moduli space of certain rational maps localized on the $(n-3)!$ solutions of the scattering equations. Due to the properties of spinor-helicity variables in six dimensions, the even-$n$ and odd-$n$ formulas are quite different and have to be treated separately. We first propose a manifestly supersymmetric expression for the even-$n$ amplitudes of $\mathcal{N}=(1,1)$ SYM theory and perform various consistency checks. By considering soft-gluon limits of the even-$n$ amplitudes, we deduce the form of the rational maps and the integrand for $n$ odd. The odd-$n$ formulas obtained in this way have a new redundancy that is intertwined with the usual $\text{SL}(2, \mathbb{C})$ invariance on the Riemann sphere. We also propose an alternative form of the formulas, analogous to the Witten-RSV formulation, and explore its relationship with the symplectic (or Lagrangian) Grassmannian. Since the amplitudes are formulated in a way that manifests double-copy properties, formulas for the six-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=(2,2)$ SUGRA amplitudes follow. These six-dimensional results allow us to deduce new formulas for five-dimensional SYM and SUGRA amplitudes, as well as massive amplitudes of four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM on the Coulomb branch., Comment: 71+23 pages. v2: minor corrections, references added, matches published JHEP version

The simplest integrands in the CHY formulation of scattering amplitudes are constructed using the so-called Parke-Taylor functions. Parke-Taylor functions also turn out to belong to a large class of rational functions known as MHV leading singularities. In fact, Parke-Taylor functions correspond to planar MHV leading singularities. In this note we study the behavior of CHY integrands constructed using non-planar MHV leading singularities under collinear and multi-particle factorization limits. General $n$-particle MHV leading singularities are completely characterized by a set of $(n-2)$ triples of particle labels. We give a simple operation on this combinatorial data which "factors" the list into two sets of triples defining two lower point MHV leading singularities. The fact that general MHV leading singularities form a closed set under "multi-particle factorizations" is surprising from their gauge theoretic origin., Comment: 14 pages

In this work we propose to use leading singularities to obtain the classical pieces of amplitudes of two massive particles whose only interaction is gravitational. Leading singularities are generalizations of unitarity cuts. At one-loop we find that leading singularities obtained by multiple discontinuities in the t-channel contain all the classical information. As the main example, we show how to obtain a compact formula for the fully relativistic classical one-loop contribution to the scattering of two particles with different masses. The non-relativistic limit of the leading singularity agrees with known results in the post-Newtonian expansion. We also compute a variety of higher loop leading singularities including some all-loop families and study some of their properties., Comment: 38 pages, 7 figures

We find $n(n-3)/2$-dimensional regions of the space of kinematic invariants, where all the solutions to the scattering equations (the core of the CHY formulation of amplitudes) for $n$ massless particles are real. On these regions, the scattering equations are equivalent to the problem of finding stationary points of $n-3$ mutually repelling particles on a finite real interval with appropriate boundary conditions. This identification directly implies that for each of the $(n-3)!$ possible orderings of the $n-3$ particles on the interval, there exists one stable stationary point. Furthermore, restricting to four dimensions, we find that the separation of the solutions into $k\in \{2,3,\ldots ,n-2\}$ sectors naturally matches that of permutations of $n-3$ labels into those with $k-2$ descents. This leads to a physical realization of the combinatorial meaning of the Eulerian numbers., Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures, section 5.4 added

We study a variety of field theories with vanishing single soft limits. In all cases, the structure of the soft limit is controlled by a larger theory, which provides an extension of the original one by adding more fields and interactions. Our main example is the $U(N)$ non-linear sigma model in its CHY representation. Its extension is a theory in which the NLSM Goldstone bosons interact with a cubic biadjoint scalar. Other theories we study and extend are the special Galileon and Born-Infeld theory, including its maximally supersymmetric version in four dimensions, the DBI-Volkov-Akulov theory. In all the cases, we propose the CHY representation of the complete tree-level S-matrix of the extended theories. In fact, CHY formulas are the key technique for studying the single soft limit behavior of the original theories. As a byproduct, we show that the tree-level S-matrix of the extended NLSM theory can be constructed using a very compact BCFW-like recursion relation, where physical poles are at most linear in the deformation parameter., Comment: 31 pages, 2 figures, 1 table

We find a construction that expresses any tree-level $n$-particle ${\rm N^{k-2}MHV}$ color-ordered partial amplitude in gauge theory as a linear combination of a basis of dimension $\eulerian{n-3}{k-2}$. Here $\eulerian{p}{q}$ denotes the $(p,q)$ Eulerian number. The coefficients of the expansion are independent of the helicities of the particles. This basis is a four-dimensional refinement of the $(n-3)!$-element BCJ basis which is valid in any number of dimensions. The construction uses a new kind of objects which we call {\it scalar blocks}. Here we initiate the study of these objects. Scalar blocks provide an "${\rm N^{k-2}MHV}$ sector" decomposition of a bi-adjoint scalar amplitude in four dimensions. As byproducts of the construction, we also find an intrinsically four-dimensional version of KLT relations for gravity amplitudes., Comment: 30 pages

We show how one-loop corrections to scattering amplitudes of scalars and gauge bosons can be obtained from tree amplitudes in one higher dimension. Starting with a complete tree-level scattering amplitude of n+2 particles in five dimensions, one assumes that two of them cannot be "detected" and therefore an integration over their LIPS is carried out. The resulting object, function of the remaining n particles, is taken to be four-dimensional by restricting the corresponding momenta. We perform this procedure in the context of the tree-level CHY formulation of amplitudes. The scattering equations obtained in the procedure coincide with those derived by Geyer et al from ambitwistor constructions and recently studied by two of the authors for bi-adjoint scalars. They have two sectors of solutions: regular and singular. We prove that the contribution from regular solutions generically gives rise to unphysical poles. However, using a BCFW argument we prove that the unphysical contributions are always homogeneous functions of the loop momentum and can be discarded. We also show that the contribution from singular solutions turns out to be homogeneous as well., Comment: 21 pages v.2: ref added, typos fixed

Contour integrals of rational functions over ${\cal M}_{0,n}$, the moduli space of $n$-punctured spheres, have recently appeared at the core of the tree-level S-matrix of massless particles in arbitrary dimensions. The contour is determined by the critical points of a certain Morse function on ${\cal M}_{0,n}$. The integrand is a general rational function of the puncture locations with poles of arbitrary order as two punctures coincide. In this note we provide an algorithm for the analytic computation of any such integral. The algorithm uses three ingredients: an operation we call general KLT, Petersen's theorem applied to the existence of a 2-factor in any 4-regular graph and Hamiltonian decompositions of certain 4-regular graphs. The procedure is iterative and reduces the computation of a general integral to that of simple building blocks. These are integrals which compute double-color-ordered partial amplitudes in a bi-adjoint cubic scalar theory., Comment: 36+11 pp

We study the behavior of the tree-level S-matrix of a variety of theories as two particles become soft. By analogy with the recently found subleading soft theorems for gravitons and gluons, we explore subleading terms in double soft emissions. We first consider double soft scalar emissions and find subleading terms that are controlled by the angular momentum operator acting on hard particles. The order of the subleading theorems depends on the presence or not of color structures. Next we obtain a compact formula for the leading term in a double soft photon emission. The theories studied are a special Galileon, DBI, Einstein-Maxwell-Scalar, NLSM and Yang-Mills-Scalar. We use the recently found CHY representation of these theories in order to give a simple proof of the leading order part of all these theorems, Comment: 10 pages plus references. For a supplementary note, see https://ellisyeyuan.wordpress.com/2015/03/14/double-soft-theorems-subleading/

We initiate an exploration of on-shell functions in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM beyond the planar limit by providing compact, combinatorial expressions for all leading singularities of MHV amplitudes and showing that they can always be expressed as a positive sum of differently ordered Parke-Taylor tree amplitudes. This is understood in terms of an extended notion of positivity in $G(2,n)$, the Grassmannian of 2-planes in $n$ dimensions: a single on-shell diagram can be associated with many different "positive" regions, of which the familiar positive region associated with planar diagrams is just one example. The decomposition into Parke-Taylor factors is simply a "triangulation" of these extended positive regions. The $U(1)$ decoupling and Kleiss-Kuijf (KK) relations satisfied by the Parke-Taylor amplitudes also follow naturally from this geometric picture. These results suggest that non-planar MHV amplitudes in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM at all loop orders can be expressed as a sum of polylogarithms weighted by color factors and (unordered) Parke-Taylor amplitudes., Comment: 16 pages, 19 figures

The tree-level S-matrix of Einstein's theory is known to have a representation as an integral over the moduli space of punctured spheres localized to the solutions of the scattering equations. In this paper we introduce three operations that can be applied on the integrand in order to produce other theories. Starting in $d+M$ dimensions we use dimensional reduction to construct Einstein-Maxwell with gauge group $U(1)^M$. The second operation turns gravitons into gluons and we call it "squeezing". This gives rise to a formula for all multi-trace mixed amplitudes in Einstein-Yang-Mills. Dimensionally reducing Yang-Mills we find the S-matrix of a special Yang-Mills-Scalar (YMS) theory, and by the squeezing operation we find that of a YMS theory with an additional cubic scalar vertex. A corollary of the YMS formula gives one for a single massless scalar with a $\phi^4$ interaction. Starting again from Einstein's theory but in $d+d$ dimensions we introduce a "generalized dimensional reduction" that produces the Born-Infeld theory or a special Galileon theory in $d$ dimensions depending on how it is applied. An extension of Born-Infeld formula leads to one for the Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) theory. By applying the same operation to Yang-Mills we obtain the $U(N)$ non-linear sigma model (NLSM). Finally, we show how the Kawai-Lewellen-Tye relations naturally follow from our formulation and provide additional connections among these theories. One such relation constructs DBI from YMS and NLSM., Comment: typos corrected, additional theory identified in eq. 5.17 and section 5.4 added

We present evidence that loop amplitudes in maximally supersymmetric $\mathcal{N}=4$ Yang-Mills (SYM) beyond the planar limit share some of the remarkable structures of the planar theory. In particular, we show that through two loops, the four-particle amplitude in full $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM has only logarithmic singularities and is free of any poles at infinity---properties closely related to uniform transcendentality and the UV-finiteness of the theory. We also briefly comment on implications for maximal ($\mathcal{N}=8$) supergravity., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

We present the building blocks that can be combined to produce tree-level S-matrix elements of a variety of theories with various spins mixed in arbitrary dimensions. The new formulas for the scattering of $n$ massless particles are given by integrals over the positions of $n$ points on a sphere restricted to satisfy the scattering equations. As applications, we obtain all single-trace amplitudes in Einstein--Yang--Mills (EYM) theory, and generalizations to include scalars. Also in EYM but extended by a B-field and a dilaton, we present all double-trace gluon amplitudes. The building blocks are made of Pfaffians and Parke--Taylor-like factors of subsets of particle labels., Comment: 18 pages. References and a new section on double-trace gluon amplitudes added in v2

We show that the distributional nature of soft theorems requires the soft limit expansion to take priority over the regulator expansion of Feynman loop integrals. We start the study of soft graviton theorems at loop level from this perspective by considering a five-particle one-loop amplitude in ${\cal N}=8$ supergravity. Surprisingly, we find that a soft theorem recently introduced by one of the authors and Strominger is not renormalized in this case. Computations are done in $4-2\epsilon$ dimensions and for terms of order $\epsilon^{-2}$, $\epsilon^{-1}$ and $\epsilon^{0}$., Comment: New section on soft theorems vs soft expansions included, citations added and typos fixed in v2

The single-soft-graviton limit of any quantum gravity scattering amplitude is given at leading order by the universal Weinberg pole formula. Gauge invariance of the formula follows from global energy-momentum conservation. In this paper evidence is given for a conjectured universal formula for the finite subleading term in the expansion about the soft limit, whose gauge invariance follows from global angular momentum conservation. The conjecture is non-trivially verified for all tree-level graviton scattering amplitudes using a BCFW recursion relation. One hopes to understand this infinity of new soft relations as a Ward identity for a new superrotation Virasoro symmetry of the quantum gravity S-matrix., Comment: 21 pages, normalization of J changed to the standard one and references added in v2

In a recent note we presented a compact formula for the complete tree-level S-matrix of pure Yang-Mills and gravity theories in arbitrary spacetime dimension. In this paper we show that a natural formulation also exists for a massless colored cubic scalar theory. In Yang-Mills, the formula is an integral over the space of n marked points on a sphere and has as integrand two factors. The first factor is a combination of Parke-Taylor-like terms dressed with U(N) color structures while the second is a Pfaffian. The S-matrix of a U(N)xU(N') cubic scalar theory is obtained by simply replacing the Pfaffian with a U(N') version of the previous U(N) factor. Given that gravity amplitudes are obtained by replacing the U(N) factor in Yang-Mills by a second Pfaffian, we are led to a natural color-kinematics correspondence. An expansion of the integrand of the scalar theory leads to sums over trivalent graphs and are directly related to the KLT matrix. We find a connection to the BCJ color-kinematics duality as well as a new proof of the BCJ doubling property that gives rise to gravity amplitudes. We end by considering a special kinematic point where the partial amplitude simply counts the number of color-ordered planar trivalent trees, which equals a Catalan number. The scattering equations simplify dramatically and are equivalent to a special Y-system with solutions related to roots of Chebyshev polynomials., Comment: 31 pages

We present a compact formula for the complete tree-level S-matrix of pure Yang-Mills and gravity theories in arbitrary spacetime dimension. The new formula for the scattering of n particles is given by an integral over the position of n points on a sphere restricted to satisfy a dimension-independent set of equations. The integrand is constructed using the reduced Pfaffian of a 2n by 2n matrix that depends on momenta and polarization vectors. In its simplest form, the gravity integrand is a reduced determinant which is the square of the Pfaffian in the Yang-Mills integrand. Gauge invariance is completely manifest as it follows from a simple property of the Pfaffian., Comment: v2: Simpler form for gravity added. Argument below eq. 14 streamlined. 4 pages, 2 columns

Several recent developments point to the fact that rational maps from n-punctured spheres to the null cone of D dimensional momentum space provide a natural language for describing the scattering of massless particles in D dimensions. In this note we identify and study equations relating the kinematic invariants and the puncture locations, which we call the scattering equations. We provide an inductive algorithm in the number of particles for their solutions and prove a remarkable property which we call KLT Orthogonality. In a nutshell, KLT orthogonality means that "Parke-Taylor" vectors constructed from the solutions to the scattering equations are mutually orthogonal with respect to the Kawai-Lewellen-Tye (KLT) bilinear form. We end with comments on possible connections to gauge theory and gravity amplitudes in any dimension and to the high-energy limit of string theory amplitudes., Comment: 21 pages

The complete tree-level S-matrix of four dimensional ${\cal N}=4$ super Yang-Mills and ${\cal N} = 8$ supergravity has compact forms as integrals over the moduli space of certain rational maps. In this note we derive formulas for amplitudes in three dimensions by using the fact that when amplitudes are dressed with proper wave functions dimensional reduction becomes straightforward. This procedure leads to formulas in terms of rational maps for three dimensional maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills and gravity theories. The integrand of the new formulas contains three basic structures: Parke-Taylor-like factors, Vandermonde determinants and resultants. Integrating out some of the Grassmann directions produces formulas for theories with less than maximal supersymmetry, which exposes yet a fourth kind of structure. Combining all four basic structures we start a search for consistent S-matrices in three dimensions. Very nicely, the most natural ones are those corresponding to ABJM and BLG theories. We also make a connection between the power of a resultant in the integrand, representations of the Poincar\'e group, infrared behavior and conformality of a theory. Extensions to other theories in three dimensions and to arbitrary dimensions are also discussed., Comment: 21 pages

Two very different formulations of the tree-level S-matrix of N=8 Einstein supergravity in terms of rational maps are known to exist. In both formulations, the computation of a scattering amplitude of n particles in the k R-charge sector involves an integral over the moduli space of certain holomorphic maps of degree d=k-1. In this paper we show that both formulations can be simplified when written in a manifestly parity invariant form as integrals over holomorphic maps of bi-degree (d,n-d-2). In one formulation the full integrand becomes directly the product of the resultants of each of the two maps defining the one of bi-degree (d,n-d-2). In the second formulation, a very different structure appears. The integrand contains the determinant of a (n-3)x(n-3) matrix and a 'Jacobian'. We prove that the determinant is a polynomial in the coefficients of the maps and contains the two resultants as factors., Comment: 21 pages

We establish a direct connection between scattering amplitudes in planar four-dimensional theories and a remarkable mathematical structure known as the positive Grassmannian. The central physical idea is to focus on on-shell diagrams as objects of fundamental importance to scattering amplitudes. We show that the all-loop integrand in N=4 SYM is naturally represented in this way. On-shell diagrams in this theory are intimately tied to a variety of mathematical objects, ranging from a new graphical representation of permutations to a beautiful stratification of the Grassmannian G(k,n) which generalizes the notion of a simplex in projective space. All physically important operations involving on-shell diagrams map to canonical operations on permutations; in particular, BCFW deformations correspond to adjacent transpositions. Each cell of the positive Grassmannian is naturally endowed with positive coordinates and an invariant measure which determines the on-shell function associated with the diagram. This understanding allows us to classify and compute all on-shell diagrams, and give a geometric understanding for all the non-trivial relations among them. Yangian invariance of scattering amplitudes is transparently represented by diffeomorphisms of G(k,n) which preserve the positive structure. Scattering amplitudes in (1+1)-dimensional integrable systems and the ABJM theory in (2+1) dimensions can both be understood as special cases of these ideas. On-shell diagrams in theories with less (or no) supersymmetry are associated with exactly the same structures in the Grassmannian, but with a measure deformed by a factor encoding ultraviolet singularities. The Grassmannian representation of on-shell processes also gives a new understanding of the all-loop integrand for scattering amplitudes, presenting all integrands in a novel dLog form which directly reflects the underlying positive structure., Comment: a handful of minor corrections and citations added/updated; 158 pages, 264 figures

We prove the formula for the complete tree-level $S$-matrix of $\mathcal{N}=8$ supergravity recently conjectured by two of the authors. The proof proceeds by showing that the new formula satisfies the same BCFW recursion relations that physical amplitudes are known to satisfy, with the same initial conditions. As part of the proof, the behavior of the new formula under large BCFW deformations is studied. An unexpected bonus of the analysis is a very straightforward proof of the enigmatic $1/z^2$ behavior of gravity. In addition, we provide a description of gravity amplitudes as a multidimensional contour integral over a Grassmannian. The Grassmannian formulation has a very simple structure; in the N$^{k-2}$MHV sector the integrand is essentially the product of that of an MHV and an $\overline{{\rm MHV}}$ amplitude, with $k+1$ and $n-k-1$ particles respectively.

This paper presents a new formula which is conjectured to yield all tree amplitudes in N=8 supergravity. The amplitudes are described in terms of higher degree rational maps to twistor space. The resulting expression has manifest N=8 supersymmetry and is manifestly permutation symmetric in all external states. It depends monomially on the infinity twistor that explicitly breaks conformal symmetry to Poincare. The formula has been explicitly checked to yield the correct amplitudes for the 3-point MHV-bar and for the n-point MHV, where it reduces to an expression of Hodges. We have also carried out numerical checks of the formula at NMHV and NNMHV level, for up to eight external states., Comment: 8 pages

We propose a new formulation of the complete tree-level S-matrix of N = 8 supergravity. The new formula for n particles in the k R-charge sector is an integral over the Grassmannian G(2,n) and uses the Veronese map into G(k,n). The image of a point in G(2,n) is required to be in the "complement" of a 2|8-plane thus making the SU(8) R-symmetry manifest. The integrand is the ratio of two determinants. The numerator is an analog of Hodges' recent determinant formula for MHV amplitudes. The denominator is a 2(n+k-2) x 2(n+k-2) minor of a 2(n+k) x 2(n+k) matrix of rank 2(n+k-2). Just as Hodges' formula does for MHV amplitudes, our integrand makes the complete invariance under Sn manifest for all sectors. The validity of the new formula follows from two surprising facts. One is the equivalence of Hodges' MHV formula and the Kawai-Lewellen-Tye (KLT) formula when kinematic invariants are allowed to be off-shell in a novel way. We give a proof of this for any number of particles. The second fact is an orthogonality property of the solutions to the polynomial equations defining the Veronese embedding. Explicit proof of the orthogonality is given for all amplitudes in all R-charge sectors with eight or less particles thus providing non-trivial evidence for our proposal., Comment: 27 pages

Tree-level amplitudes in N=4 SYM can be decomposed into partial or color-ordered amplitudes. Identities relating various partial amplitudes have been known since the 80's. They are Kleiss-Kuijf (KK) identities. In 2008, Bern, Carrasco and Johansson (BCJ) introduced a new set of identities which reduce the number of independent partial amplitudes to (n-3)!. In recent years, several formulations for partial amplitudes have been discovered and shown to be equivalent to each other. These can be thought of as simple dualities in the sense that different formulations make manifest different properties of the same object; the amplitude. One such formulation is the ACCK Grassmannian formulation which makes Yangian invariance of individual partial amplitudes manifest. A different formulation is the so-called connected formula introduced by Witten in twistor space and formulated in momentum space by Roiban, Spradlin and Volovich. It has been argued that the connected formula is ideal for studying properties which are related to the full amplitude, such as the KK relations, and not to particular partial amplitudes, like Yangian invariance. Following this logic, it is very natural to expect that the BCJ identities should have a very simple proof in the connected formulation. In this short note we show that this is indeed the case., Comment: 7 pages

In this note we continue the exploration of the polytope picture for scattering amplitudes, where amplitudes are associated with the volumes of polytopes in generalized momentum-twistor spaces. After a quick warm-up example illustrating the essential ideas with the elementary geometry of polygons in CP^2, we interpret the 1-loop MHV integrand as the volume of a polytope in CP^3x CP^3, which can be thought of as the space obtained by taking the geometric dual of the Wilson loop in each CP^3 of the product. We then review the polytope picture for the NMHV tree amplitude and give it a more direct and intrinsic definition as the geometric dual of a canonical "square" of the Wilson-Loop polygon, living in a certain extension of momentum-twistor space into CP^4. In both cases, one natural class of triangulations of the polytope produces the BCFW/CSW representations of the amplitudes; another class of triangulations leads to a striking new form, which is both remarkably simple as well as manifestly cyclic and local., Comment: 24 pages, 22 figures

Recently, an explicit, recursive formula for the all-loop integrand of planar scattering amplitudes in N=4 SYM has been described, generalizing the BCFW formula for tree amplitudes, and making manifest the Yangian symmetry of the theory. This has made it possible to easily study the structure of multi-loop amplitudes in the theory. In this paper we describe a remarkable fact revealed by these investigations: the integrand can be expressed in an amazingly simple and manifestly local form when represented in momentum-twistor space using a set of chiral integrals with unit leading singularities. As examples, we present very-concise expressions for all 2- and 3-loop MHV integrands, as well as all 2-loop NMHV integrands. We also describe a natural set of manifestly IR-finite integrals that can be used to express IR-safe objects such as the ratio function. Along the way we give a pedagogical introduction to the foundations of the subject. The new local forms of the integrand are closely connected to leading singularities---matching only a small subset of all leading singularities remarkably suffices to determine the full integrand. These results strongly suggest the existence of a theory for the integrand directly yielding these local expressions, allowing for a more direct understanding of the emergence of local spacetime physics., Comment: 84 pages, 118 figures

We give an explicit recursive formula for the all L-loop integrand for scattering amplitudes in N=4 SYM in the planar limit, manifesting the full Yangian symmetry of the theory. This generalizes the BCFW recursion relation for tree amplitudes to all loop orders, and extends the Grassmannian duality for leading singularities to the full amplitude. It also provides a new physical picture for the meaning of loops, associated with canonical operations for removing particles in a Yangian-invariant way. Loop amplitudes arise from the "entangled" removal of pairs of particles, and are naturally presented as an integral over lines in momentum-twistor space. As expected from manifest Yangian-invariance, the integrand is given as a sum over non-local terms, rather than the familiar decomposition in terms of local scalar integrals with rational coefficients. Knowing the integrands explicitly, it is straightforward to express them in local forms if desired; this turns out to be done most naturally using a novel basis of chiral, tensor integrals written in momentum-twistor space, each of which has unit leading singularities. As simple illustrative examples, we present a number of new multi-loop results written in local form, including the 6- and 7-point 2-loop NMHV amplitudes. Very concise expressions are presented for all 2-loop MHV amplitudes, as well as the 5-point 3-loop MHV amplitude. The structure of the loop integrand strongly suggests that the integrals yielding the physical amplitudes are "simple", and determined by IR-anomalies. We briefly comment on extending these ideas to more general planar theories., Comment: 46 pages; v2: minor changes, references added

The conjectured duality relating all-loop leading singularities of n-particle N^(k-2)MHV scattering amplitudes in N=4 SYM to a simple contour integral over the Grassmannian G(k,n) makes all the symmetries of the theory manifest. Every residue is individually Yangian invariant, but does not have a local space-time interpretation--only a special sum over residues gives physical amplitudes. In this paper we show that the sum over residues giving tree amplitudes can be unified into a single algebraic variety, which we explicitly construct for all NMHV and N^2MHV amplitudes. Remarkably, this allows the contour integral to have a "particle interpretation" in the Grassmannian, where higher-point amplitudes can be constructed from lower-point ones by adding one particle at a time, with soft limits manifest. We move on to show that the connected prescription for tree amplitudes in Witten's twistor string theory also admits a Grassmannian particle interpretation, where the integral over the Grassmannian localizes over the Veronese map from G(2,n) to G(k,n). These apparently very different theories are related by a natural deformation with a parameter t that smoothly interpolates between them. For NMHV amplitudes, we use a simple residue theorem to prove t-independence of the result, thus establishing a novel kind of duality between these theories., Comment: 56 pages, 11 figures; v2: typos corrected, minor improvements