{"schema":"pubphys.bundle/1","record":{"author":{"account_ref":null,"orcid":null},"builds_on":[],"content_schema":"pubphys.content.revision/1","content_sha256":"95ee9ec19933d7cd42af53914f7422744df5adf643e0f0f92427c8b92b56f538","created":"2026-10-03T07:18:09Z","files":[],"origin":{"assisted_by":[],"kind":"seed"},"parents":["5475cf5dc5b1a72283d26dc95dc6e00d7ea4e00096a7c6492e409a1816eeb011"],"salt":"5f123c1045413ae88c187f5a8a7a8a71ea9e0358a35dda9489f545c9daadfafb","schema":"pubphys.record/2","site":"pubphys.com","target":null,"type":"revision"},"content":{"answer_type":"yes-no","assisted_by":[],"external_id":"qft.rg-irreversibility.strong-a-gradient","kind":"well-posed","literature_status":"partially-resolved","n":"1","parents":[],"plain":"In four dimensions a certain count of degrees of freedom is proven to be lower at long distances than at short ones. A stronger claim, that the couplings always move steadily downhill along a height function given by this count, is checked only in perturbation theory.","posed_since":"1990","precise":"Jack and Osborn (1990) showed perturbatively that the beta functions $\\beta^{j}$ of a 4D renormalizable QFT satisfy $d_{i} a\\sim = \\chi_{ij}\\beta^{j} + (d_{i} w_{j} - d_{j} w_{i})\\beta^{j}$ for a function $a\\sim(g)$ equal to the a-anomaly at fixed points. Determine whether, beyond perturbation theory, $\\chi_{ij}$ is positive definite so that $a\\sim$ decreases monotonically along every flow (strong a-theorem). The weak version $a_{\\mathrm{UV}} > a_{\\mathrm{IR}}$ between fixed points is proven (Komargodski and Schwimmer 2011).","problem_ref":null,"references":"","settled_by":"A nonperturbative proof that $\\chi_{ij}$ is positive definite in unitary 4D QFT, or a unitary flow along which $a\\sim$ increases.","status_note":"$\\chi_{ij}$ is positive at leading orders and $a\\sim$ has been constructed to high loop order for general gauge theories (Jack and Poole 2015); the nonperturbative statement is open.","title":"Is four-dimensional RG flow a gradient flow of the a-function","topic_ref":"aa2c9297ee0f9c5637717e0362dc66e39fae921c636c489893e101ec3f0ff180"},"content_withheld":"false","files":[],"attested":{"attestation":{"batch":null,"client_id":null,"id_token_sha256":null,"kind":"platform"},"record_hash":"8383c54977822e9fa9a6744bf14a05cd55f4084ac834e6212a67c1f772be4aec","schema":"pubphys.attested/1"},"id_token":null,"id_token_withheld":"false","envelope":{"attested_hash":"05bff71b168d1ce176f8a8da5ae77f349ffafba0adfdc45b32978c87eb2f00f6","platform_signature":{"key_id":"c6afc19b31429869751f06879c75cd64ea92654423d15b44be775bf1310a60da","sig":"BWn9I9CdOkSFnyQGQDM7uWbQGwZXzvdqLLoNB5tA6miaSBDbqlmSyPJTpIPWaGzvY_mW7fytejLVyZUAHzOpBg"},"schema":"pubphys.envelope/1"},"ots":{"attested":["AE9wZW5UaW1lc3RhbXBzAABQcm9vZgC_ieLohOiSlAEIBb_3GxaNHOF2-KjaWud_NJ_6-6Ct_cRbMpeMh-svAPbwIAXm0NrTuZ2tJiPnAdS872xktt9jq8yUMaEpI-FtGB8fCPAg-25EDm3tFFpY60U333mbiL6-uLihv5i-lmsHQdcCGQoI8SCCFJTnCiqtuMp09bA3AuZmugdJDezErz34zVyy-klSGQjxIN6S_gLx6wHWwnHesRBhs0HWElWInp1lmVg1RW4ixZPECPEgtA_x9BuD9KkwSn_AcJB87tvfw7HiOpb4-GkNkaCfbuwI8CDTjQ9L2DJ8_fBL1pwv-yzLF-GYobmUQaskz0LZNaQPXwjxICX4sWXZiUHn7v-zJ5hXalBcsa_hpGm08g9aBpaZojnECPAgNl1YNYfZwu98LlVobqGe3qyzw872nZef7-vqHE3nXn0I8CDTURm5psgkpndkZlRIia_PxrzHEbIi4fWR0w8YEe9YLAjwIMIc4xq7iJ2YP27EtWYUvEm4-TQD7cayDq2XvZh74n3BCPAg3v2QXfNkDO6Xzu9061umH0rhjRfHBKza3uG2nPQbpd8I8CCtNZgmApuKULvPC9nsMCaM05arV-F3o5FTlnJCnRvdMgjwIBGYo5Vxy-d7U5zKv5vp3Ii7hJPH_BDLCzA13c47p9q7CP_wCHbghVgOFMuNCPAQPZK2lHbTMqcCYUotzOQcmQjwIJ7ruRIs6HnufKxCpmLUgeUl0aUu0ov4_3PqcppS-bddCPEgI530vHzdwz_3o9jYQ3WablSaV64Wfn7Pmby5WLyI-A0I8QRqwKw78AhITF7Tr3a1xP8Ag9_jDS75DI4sK2h0dHBzOi8vYm9iLmJ0Yy5jYWxlbmRhci5vcGVudGltZXN0YW1wcy5vcmcI8CBXWeNiWFWltfHE0nkDXsVKIykUUwuObhsnN-2fvBt98gjwIM5Vf7j68sOFgVysYMc5S09Hho-fqxYW3oQ4oKUX7JpPCPAgaKHHQB3sdd9w1hu4NMh7vmb-p0X2r4uyVKKCj1G7S28I8SAW2Mg6Bzi9ygjrrjIYB7w90fwMcxH24SsqLmzPyAMGfwjwIMQ863zlveYIpNKWVrZaDOa4vowwoOg2CcTW8gXtxK3dCPEgrZxGGAf-t8jhz_eLMUyBN1IhNrdYDRcNHWvQcwNG9woI8CCVOUHG1YXudbaFIgUYvrCIevRWvb2ubhQAo-z0duD0rQjxIDBeKerVGkO3J2eXDwdraSioXbIWsdIPEN1s8pIwJIS2CPAgV2kB3n3JZ5HwBQjpRL1CWKnqvdCjZk3RcALk6N2wHigI8CB-wbljNlfqElD25uZkNg6taS81YDRU2vfMqGVQ420O9AjxWQEAAAABJM43UU6MLMRrPlCUqossvu1q_knons5yylyWTgxZzWUAAAAAAP7___8CLgABAAAAAAAWABQrYt3E7OllKRCEmL3FL589l78_5wAAAAAAAAAAImog8ATiyw4ACAjxILmbcIO7ixv3pCtwUMZ1VQGKus54F9lZ8-w5ECD5ZuiICAjwIG6ynCyFTLPE7Rgk-0ZGCtBDyqNQx8YvaSZNHy8D8p8jCAjwIMX8zoD2Be1YWvcx_bexVPRmBX0hK-do8b8t9SarimQVCAjxIG6XtpqIEclLlhzcK1LVjqoPGrjjmLnyno8tcETMzECECAjwIF6mlfXOFY51JhrK4eze8zQlKV75OYZYqbtyi8BWxmAsCAjwIKKUcJmVoz-u-geiRV_-ZHdF0VEPXaEPFWf_JX_0e7G2CAjxIGMeD0Z5QWNKBcAEpHht007FFIILW6aSJ8f3CMkKNsneCAjwIBFr6Je8rkB7kwhPGbq0yRgFwZsvW9JhY5sXDRtrq0QwCAjwIAHAwXaus-yUgKICJB5mVvx8VZuJgjwnpb0qWPg1pi6DCAjxIAJhb8cefkVHTAMymdsxa-_i-tUua62LcpALQnPG7R9_CAjwIDvsFqBhPfAL6TCtXZd7gBWmMpx6iiZ-Ug0Jf_LlcstgCAjwIDJRBX6Q0Vge-ra-k1_g76yJWTEp6WWF13I3JpTnsZPJCAjwILykZCbkC9VQgl5gytPKKir6T9nTvKR6y05iWSHBTQgzCAgABYiWDXPXGQED45c78Ah-sGbmQAwfZwjwEAYqxtHnZiPZnJEGPx_JvKsI8SDXkqDg17YsZIrEz5acRx7mBXCKW5mKNgRYnw_-U2cpDgjxBGrArDrwCEfK6Mono428_wCD3-MNLvkMji4taHR0cHM6Ly9hbGljZS5idGMuY2FsZW5kYXIub3BlbnRpbWVzdGFtcHMub3JnCPAg10nyJ6Jn4kshQQQCKE0Lvj3hBC6nLRBVIzaPV4eh8VwI8CCQaAqWlxEbac_XOq1MOlf9iOKHEsxXspzbjK0vLpy8BwjwII3iRbRXUcDxrhAdkZmFlI15nySCSEZ7g922tF1Xln5DCPEgYYvZ1L4v4rPu_UqLfcHPtwSb2OH2GhPgVcVhhH6DpkQI8CDZCIoR20sC-uchP40oAmcLm9EJFV7xzwplj54AeVadXQjxILvLBjPFpCoz29m9Yf2qRnV7PI9GqxE8ozVQfk9QwCqrCPEgZXcMudvEoB_MJ8tqOW2PLTKAIeQBnE-1bfzptRc2gR8I8VkBAAAAAfXq-bmxWqOz7B5wKkwjzHGv2R4s7Y0Z76LqXWYNhmz0AAAAAAD-____Av0cAAAAAAAAFgAUl-skmdZDtn7Hnub6mF4HP2uVn7oAAAAAAAAAACJqIPAE4MsOAAgI8CBDmQsbEXc46Hu8DivhCBM1LGExa4TTM-wo7HpoCVjBTQgI8CCty5vkQtPHzzs8xqArOYhVSjgaDoG1ou3cojv5_P7wQQgI8SDQWB0kdXCTwbk-TqTt0QfRMyzDNLOtU1XXFgvGSRlW8wgI8CC2PKa_QCIBZtrXodq1GdEzppISMsMRDOnzr2gFjLKOAAgI8CCwQ_QF67bcFk_uJ2s0VCZmf5PGIjTmTCpt_qnVY5p_8AgI8SAbzyx7z-oxPMju6PvtQhzrJIQyH2ZAc9oyLuYemzbmZQgI8CC5bh7J74uUk91r8LwybHQFCNBC3PWeuwtMCCNFKWj19AgI8SAf4R2TUNPjaX_PWDUImpoITK0JoW89zaMKnD1wlEEi8AgI8SC2vNmdm7eyP5Ytl1yTzT0njliMdALl1ViKG-s3bG2zswgI8CCpbIVNz1GFVXdJk2zd82hBUoNFFemUPBt7IJdWEOciPwgI8CBtYdRQcrtX1FtCm1SxF7sx-5cO04U8KzbJh8fqBkyReAgI8CBHs2LGmX6gI-lV7yp1RrV7_tGfdiBAwnEFF6B6yXHzAQgI8CATotVmbXBMAixhZ-QKy5Q4lR0FusdA_wcIC1TbB7GmxAgIAAWIlg1z1xkBA-KXOw"],"envelope":["AE9wZW5UaW1lc3RhbXBzAABQcm9vZgC_ieLohOiSlAEITto24JrEffMiJOA_KIvOMkJtoA0CDMJlgT4D5ZlPIkTxIE7I3NbQVYFnek_bSFYnsc_BJZ1nSUX9yH3a_2MBgW4jCPAgnafSAwvLdeBHrM2kFuv6ckvTY0XTvV-kSmBH8pDHx20I8CBpQACaJI6GR1aeB62X4fk6SENjZpJq1pxpuox-agtkSgjwIGbu0Nz83ixHqOu2fW4mxF6UJM7_rjSTbPB2VlM7SrvLCPEg2be2Vu2ZYA9ARMhA_uz7pABqAVS_JafsSuYspekdlloI8CBWhs345lmUIm3v-f_Ya73uDXZV7exio0Zo7BSkRIq8RgjwIE_Ct2JXhXZOFrsA1fkKo-7MAWeAKE0lpi7QCYMFaWO4CPAggG0c9dn3XrxlzuzT_Y1TEWzzs-EmhaWa_H096ngdNMoI8SCuet_E6kln8_ZRXavjld8BdUsVBp253AP3BX1K8IYKnwjwIK9SXvHBwgJE5CknXtp2lOqKcbHlJ-ncP9sNjnTHUJsmCPEgytIBB3x7TFDT-XqOV-9vpqw1NKoAu0dhtsCbAMql2L0I8CCtNZgmApuKULvPC9nsMCaM05arV-F3o5FTlnJCnRvdMgjwIBGYo5Vxy-d7U5zKv5vp3Ii7hJPH_BDLCzA13c47p9q7CP_wCHbghVgOFMuNCPAQPZK2lHbTMqcCYUotzOQcmQjwIJ7ruRIs6HnufKxCpmLUgeUl0aUu0ov4_3PqcppS-bddCPEgI530vHzdwz_3o9jYQ3WablSaV64Wfn7Pmby5WLyI-A0I8QRqwKw78AhITF7Tr3a1xP8Ag9_jDS75DI4sK2h0dHBzOi8vYm9iLmJ0Yy5jYWxlbmRhci5vcGVudGltZXN0YW1wcy5vcmcI8CBXWeNiWFWltfHE0nkDXsVKIykUUwuObhsnN-2fvBt98gjwIM5Vf7j68sOFgVysYMc5S09Hho-fqxYW3oQ4oKUX7JpPCPAgaKHHQB3sdd9w1hu4NMh7vmb-p0X2r4uyVKKCj1G7S28I8SAW2Mg6Bzi9ygjrrjIYB7w90fwMcxH24SsqLmzPyAMGfwjwIMQ863zlveYIpNKWVrZaDOa4vowwoOg2CcTW8gXtxK3dCPEgrZxGGAf-t8jhz_eLMUyBN1IhNrdYDRcNHWvQcwNG9woI8CCVOUHG1YXudbaFIgUYvrCIevRWvb2ubhQAo-z0duD0rQjxIDBeKerVGkO3J2eXDwdraSioXbIWsdIPEN1s8pIwJIS2CPAgV2kB3n3JZ5HwBQjpRL1CWKnqvdCjZk3RcALk6N2wHigI8CB-wbljNlfqElD25uZkNg6taS81YDRU2vfMqGVQ420O9AjxWQEAAAABJM43UU6MLMRrPlCUqossvu1q_knons5yylyWTgxZzWUAAAAAAP7___8CLgABAAAAAAAWABQrYt3E7OllKRCEmL3FL589l78_5wAAAAAAAAAAImog8ATiyw4ACAjxILmbcIO7ixv3pCtwUMZ1VQGKus54F9lZ8-w5ECD5ZuiICAjwIG6ynCyFTLPE7Rgk-0ZGCtBDyqNQx8YvaSZNHy8D8p8jCAjwIMX8zoD2Be1YWvcx_bexVPRmBX0hK-do8b8t9SarimQVCAjxIG6XtpqIEclLlhzcK1LVjqoPGrjjmLnyno8tcETMzECECAjwIF6mlfXOFY51JhrK4eze8zQlKV75OYZYqbtyi8BWxmAsCAjwIKKUcJmVoz-u-geiRV_-ZHdF0VEPXaEPFWf_JX_0e7G2CAjxIGMeD0Z5QWNKBcAEpHht007FFIILW6aSJ8f3CMkKNsneCAjwIBFr6Je8rkB7kwhPGbq0yRgFwZsvW9JhY5sXDRtrq0QwCAjwIAHAwXaus-yUgKICJB5mVvx8VZuJgjwnpb0qWPg1pi6DCAjxIAJhb8cefkVHTAMymdsxa-_i-tUua62LcpALQnPG7R9_CAjwIDvsFqBhPfAL6TCtXZd7gBWmMpx6iiZ-Ug0Jf_LlcstgCAjwIDJRBX6Q0Vge-ra-k1_g76yJWTEp6WWF13I3JpTnsZPJCAjwILykZCbkC9VQgl5gytPKKir6T9nTvKR6y05iWSHBTQgzCAgABYiWDXPXGQED45c78Ah-sGbmQAwfZwjwEAYqxtHnZiPZnJEGPx_JvKsI8SDXkqDg17YsZIrEz5acRx7mBXCKW5mKNgRYnw_-U2cpDgjxBGrArDrwCEfK6Mono428_wCD3-MNLvkMji4taHR0cHM6Ly9hbGljZS5idGMuY2FsZW5kYXIub3BlbnRpbWVzdGFtcHMub3JnCPAg10nyJ6Jn4kshQQQCKE0Lvj3hBC6nLRBVIzaPV4eh8VwI8CCQaAqWlxEbac_XOq1MOlf9iOKHEsxXspzbjK0vLpy8BwjwII3iRbRXUcDxrhAdkZmFlI15nySCSEZ7g922tF1Xln5DCPEgYYvZ1L4v4rPu_UqLfcHPtwSb2OH2GhPgVcVhhH6DpkQI8CDZCIoR20sC-uchP40oAmcLm9EJFV7xzwplj54AeVadXQjxILvLBjPFpCoz29m9Yf2qRnV7PI9GqxE8ozVQfk9QwCqrCPEgZXcMudvEoB_MJ8tqOW2PLTKAIeQBnE-1bfzptRc2gR8I8VkBAAAAAfXq-bmxWqOz7B5wKkwjzHGv2R4s7Y0Z76LqXWYNhmz0AAAAAAD-____Av0cAAAAAAAAFgAUl-skmdZDtn7Hnub6mF4HP2uVn7oAAAAAAAAAACJqIPAE4MsOAAgI8CBDmQsbEXc46Hu8DivhCBM1LGExa4TTM-wo7HpoCVjBTQgI8CCty5vkQtPHzzs8xqArOYhVSjgaDoG1ou3cojv5_P7wQQgI8SDQWB0kdXCTwbk-TqTt0QfRMyzDNLOtU1XXFgvGSRlW8wgI8CC2PKa_QCIBZtrXodq1GdEzppISMsMRDOnzr2gFjLKOAAgI8CCwQ_QF67bcFk_uJ2s0VCZmf5PGIjTmTCpt_qnVY5p_8AgI8SAbzyx7z-oxPMju6PvtQhzrJIQyH2ZAc9oyLuYemzbmZQgI8CC5bh7J74uUk91r8LwybHQFCNBC3PWeuwtMCCNFKWj19AgI8SAf4R2TUNPjaX_PWDUImpoITK0JoW89zaMKnD1wlEEi8AgI8SC2vNmdm7eyP5Ytl1yTzT0njliMdALl1ViKG-s3bG2zswgI8CCpbIVNz1GFVXdJk2zd82hBUoNFFemUPBt7IJdWEOciPwgI8CBtYdRQcrtX1FtCm1SxF7sx-5cO04U8KzbJh8fqBkyReAgI8CBHs2LGmX6gI-lV7yp1RrV7_tGfdiBAwnEFF6B6yXHzAQgI8CATotVmbXBMAixhZ-QKy5Q4lR0FusdA_wcIC1TbB7GmxAgIAAWIlg1z1xkBA-KXOw"]},"log":{"leaf_index":"1947","tree_size":"2123","proof":["f04a6ec20af762ed75f7bf6e472bd803b245e28a82d5ff0c221fa2e99d0317fa","47e050378e2a9d9f335fac4b25cbab3e60e93699ef6f685348dc33aa5271eece","5acca5e48bf23d3be892ec40285e5eed83a8514989e33ebabd863284cfa7cdc1","23bba052997311a1219c4e441aaaa541391f6c81f72c5c50beb06e00113f8ba8","f35b9a0776818faade59a6c0b0d1c44d2059903755421cb4c2b0e06e0cfb0a63","741b54f0d0215476d37400065c242316d47460ee1832401a3cdf05dbbe7a5a57","ea8ef1b2108c3435140ef752ee5b5d3ff2f4d56a2fa70ebc8e5cdcf5a1ceeb71","d7d27dd04c95f43a1731a5e70153ff3ca2355d42fb83606a0239169940e818ff","89c88540ca484f1a3c3976a552c40aeb6520d68a5a5ecc248a08fd399e828af4","35f1d0a5e69da98f9992a5251e4e3df1933c2f26543c7a40b2681ecfa194443a","2b97406e15e4d451a5450b3b53b677749fe0fa759579146dbfa1544c1e61a0ed","addcf2e0ff7974e4aa99af5e30d409f90d9f4311a4d85f5baf3e125eeb45b4c1"],"checkpoint":"pubphys.com/log/v1\n2123\npXVcluz7BF4vgChQs6lShuU0386gCH0RxrC1sxyE3rI=\n\n— pubphys.com/log/v1 JFPwIOLzsUD22XoTVyTfk/FMVj/u3f3DxZk4V/Ws10KVSS+8WQSwhunQ//EAhyS9Td5CyM0E++85GMezmKd8240j9Q8=\n","promise":null},"orcid_key_evidence":[],"attesting":null}