CONSTRAINING DIFFERENTIAL RENORMALIZATION IN ABELIAN GAUGE-THEORIES

We present a procedure of differential renormalization at the one loop level which avoids introducing unnecessary renormalization constants and automatically preserves abelian gauge invariance. The amplitudes a re expressed in terms of a basis of singular functions. The local term s appearing in the renormalization of these functions are determined b y requiring consistency with the propagator equation. Previous results in abelian theories, with and without supersymmetry, are discussed in this context. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.