Four-point functions in the CFT-AdS correspondence - art. no. 086002

We discuss the properties of four-point functions in the context of the cor respondence between a classical supergravity theory in the bulk of the anti -de Sitter (AdS) space and quantum conformal field theory (CFT) at the boun dary. The contribution to a four-point function from the exchange of a scal ar field of arbitrary mass in AdS space is explicitly identified with that of the corresponding operator in the conformal partial-wave expansion of a four-point function on the CFT side. Integral representations are found for the massless vector and graviton exchanges. We also discuss some aspects o f the four-point functions of tr F-2 and tr FF* ("dilaton" and "axion") ope rators in N=4 supersymmetric SU(N) Yang-Mills theory as predicted by type-I IB supergravity in the five-dimensional AdS background. [S0556-2821(98)0232 4-8].