************************************************************************************ Missing Higher Order Uncertainties (MHOU) from Scale Variations ************************************************************************************ The variation of the **renormalization** and **factorization** scales is one of the most used method to estimate |MHOU| in |QCD|. This is due to the simplicity of both their calculation and their implementation, the former given by the fact that the scale dependence of the strong coupling :math:`\alpha_{s}` and of |PDF| is universal and the latter given by the easiness in calculating the correlations. However, the scale variations approach also has well known drawbacks: * there is no unique principle to determine the specific range of the scale variation * it cannot deal with new singularities or color structures appearing at higher orders. Here we briefly summarize the aspects of the scale variations method which are related to **pineko**. For a much more exhaustive report on how to compute scale variations and how to use them in a |PDF| fit, please refer to :cite:`NNPDF:ThUncerta`. Renormalization group invariance ################################ Considering a theoretical prediction :math:`\overline{T}(\alpha_{s}(\mu^2), \mu^2/Q^2)` with :math:`\mu^2` the *renormalization* scale and :math:`Q^2` the typical scale of the process, denote with :math:`T(Q^2)` the same theoretical prediction evaluated at :math:`\mu^2 = Q^2`. We know that the |QCD| running coupling satisfies the |RGE| .. math:: \mu^2 \frac{d}{d\mu^2}\alpha_{s}(\mu^2) = \beta(\alpha_{s}(\mu^2)) and that an all-order prediction is independent of the renormalization scale: .. math:: \mu^2 \frac{d}{d\mu^2}\overline{T}(\alpha_{s}(\mu^2), \mu^2/Q^2) = 0. Then, defining :math:`\mu^2 = k Q^2`, :math:`t = \ln{(Q^2/\Lambda^2)}` and :math:`\kappa = \ln{k} = \ln{(\mu^2/Q^2)}`, we can rewrite the RG equation as .. math:: \frac{\delta}{\delta t}\overline{T}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),\kappa)\bigg|_{\kappa} + \frac{\delta}{\delta \kappa}\overline{T}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),\kappa)\bigg|_{\alpha_{s}} which plugged in the Taylor expansion of :math:`\overline{T}(\alpha_{s},\kappa)` .. math:: \overline{T}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),\kappa) = \overline{T}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),0) - \kappa \frac{\delta}{\delta t}\overline{T}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),0)\bigg|_{\kappa} + \dots allow us to determine the scale-dependent terms at any given order just from the central predictions as .. math:: \overline{T}_{\text{LO}}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),\kappa) &= T_{\text{LO}}(t + \kappa), \\ \overline{T}_{\text{NLO}}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),\kappa) &= T_{\text{NLO}}(t+\kappa) - \kappa \frac{d}{dt}T_{\text{LO}}(t + \kappa), \\ \overline{T}_{\text{NNLO}}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),\kappa) &= T_{\text{NNLO}}(t+\kappa) - \kappa \frac{d}{dt}T_{\text{NLO}}(t + \kappa) + \frac{1}{2} \kappa^2 \frac{d^2}{dt^2}T_{\text{LO}}(t + \kappa). From the last equation is then clearly possible to estimate the |MHOU| at any given order as :math:`\Delta(t,k) = \overline{T}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),\kappa) - T(t)`. However, as previously mentioned, there is no unique principle to determine the range of the scale variations, i.e. the value of :math:`\kappa`. Usually, one varies the renormalization scale by a factor of two, which means :math:`\kappa \in [-\ln{4}, \ln{4}]`. Since we are usually interested in processes with one or more hadrons in the initial state, for which the cross-section is factorized into a partonic part and a |PDF| (or luminosity), we must deal with two sources of independent |MHOU|: * The uncertainties coming from the expansion of the partonic cross-sections * The uncertainties coming from the expansion of the anomalous dimensions which determine the perturbative evolution of the |PDF|. In the next section we will consider both the cases and we will provide the final equations for both *electroproduction* (i.e. with one incoming hadron) and *hadronic processes* (i.e. with two incoming hadron). In the anomalous dimensions case, we will also provide three different procedure (*schemes*) to estimate them. Scale variation for partonic cross-sections ########################################### Electroproduction ================= Consider the case of electroproduction, such as |DIS|, with the scale-dependent structure function given by .. math:: \overline{F}(t,\kappa) = \overline{C}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),\kappa) \otimes f(t). Since we are not varying the scale at which the |PDF| is evaluated, the RG invariace of the structure function implies the RG invariance of the coefficients function :math:`\overline{C}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),\kappa)`. Exploiting this property, is then possible to obtain: .. math:: \overline{C}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),\kappa) = c_{0} + \alpha_{s}(t+\kappa)c_{1} + \alpha_{s}^{2}(t+\kappa)(c2 - \kappa \beta_{0} c_{1}) + \dots where :math:`\beta_{0}` is the first term of the perturbative expansion of the beta function and :math:`c_{i}` are the coefficients of the perturbative expansion of the scale-independent coefficients function, i.e. .. math:: C(t) = c_{0} + \alpha_{s}(t)c_{1} + \alpha_{s}^{2}(t)c_{2} + \dots Note that convoluting the scale-varied coefficients function with the |PDF| lead to an expression which has the same structure of the scale-independent expression. This means evaluating the scale-varied structure function is very straightforward since all that is necessary is to change the coefficients in the perturbative expansion at the central scale. Hadronic processes ================== Let's now consider an hadronic process with scale-varied cross-section given by .. math:: \overline{\Sigma}(t,\kappa) = \overline{H}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa), \kappa) \otimes (f(t) \otimes f(t) ). With the same procedure adopted in the electroproduction case, we can get .. math:: \overline{H}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),\kappa) = \alpha_{s}^{n}h_{0} + \alpha_{s}^{n+1}(h1 - \kappa n \beta{0} h_{0}) + \dots where this time the perturbative expansion of :math:`\overline{H}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),\kappa)` starts at :math:`\mathcal{O}(\alpha_{s}^{n})` rather than :math:`\mathcal{O}(\alpha_{s}^{0})`. Scale variation for |PDF| evolution ################################### A completely independent source of |MHOU| arises from the truncation of the perturbative expansion of the anomalous dimensions governing the evolution of the |PDF|. Again, this uncertainties can be estimated trough scale variation but, in this case, there are three equivalent ways in which it can be performed: at the level of anomalous dimensions, at |PDF| level or even at the level of the partonic cross-sections. We will address these different methods as *schemes*. Consider a |PDF| evaluated at the scale :math:`\mu`, :math:`f(\mu^2)`. Neglecting all the flavor indices and assuming a Mellin space formalism, the scale dependence of the |PDF| is fixed by .. math:: f(\mu^2) = \exp{\bigg(\int^{\mu^2}\frac{d\mu'^2}{\mu'^2}\gamma(\alpha_{s}(\mu'^2))\bigg)}f_{0} where the anomalous dimensions admit the perturbative expansion .. math:: \gamma(t) = \alpha_{s}(t)\gamma_{0} + \alpha_{s}^{2}(t)\gamma_{1} + \dots With the same definition of the previous part we can define the scale-dependent anomalous dimensions as .. math:: \overline{\gamma}(\alpha_{s}(t), \kappa) = \gamma(t) - \kappa \frac{d}{dt}\gamma(t) + \dots so that their perturbative expansion is .. math:: :label: schemeA \overline{\gamma}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa), \kappa) = \alpha_{s}(t+\kappa)\gamma_{0} + \alpha_{s}^2 (t+\kappa)(\gamma{1} - \kappa \beta_{0}\gamma_{0}) + \dots Then, using this expression, one can estimate the |MHOU| coming from the perturbative expansion of the anomalous dimensions (this way of doing it will be later called *scheme A*). However, the same result can be obtained by scale variation at the |PDF| level. In fact, inserting the last equation in the |PDF| evolution equation we get .. math:: & \exp{\bigg(\int^{t}dt'\overline{\gamma}(\alpha_{s}(t' + \kappa), \kappa)\bigg)} = \exp{\bigg(\int^{t+\kappa}dt'\overline{\gamma}(\alpha_{s}(t'), \kappa)\bigg)} \\ &= \exp{\bigg(\bigg[\int^{t+\kappa}dt'\gamma(t')\bigg] - \kappa\gamma(t+\kappa) + \frac{1}{2}\kappa^2\frac{d}{dt}\gamma(t+\kappa) + \dots\bigg)} \\ &= \bigg[1 - \kappa\gamma(t+\kappa) + \frac{1}{2}\kappa^2(\gamma^2(t+\kappa)+\frac{d}{dt}\gamma(t+\kappa)) + \dots \bigg]\exp{\bigg(\int^{t+\kappa}dt'\gamma(t')\bigg)}, that can be used to obtain .. math:: :label: schemeB \overline{f}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa), \kappa) = [1 - \kappa \gamma(t+\kappa) + \frac{1}{2}\kappa^2(\gamma^2(t+k) + \frac{d}{dt}\gamma(t+\kappa)) + \dots]f(t+\kappa) which is the perturbative expansion of the scale-varied |PDF| defined as .. math:: \overline{f}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa), \kappa) = \exp{\bigg(\int^{t}dt' \overline{\gamma}(\alpha_{s}(t'+\kappa),\kappa)\bigg)}f_{0}. Equation :eq:`schemeB` provides us a way to estimate the |MHOU| coming from the anomalous dimensions at the |PDF| level (this way of doing it will be later called *scheme B*). Moreover, it indicates that the :math:`\kappa` dependence can be factorized out of the PDF. Therefore we have yet another way to estimate this |MHOU| just including this factorized terms in the coefficients functions (this way of doing it will be later called *scheme C*). Let's for example consider electroproduction, the scale-varied structure function assumes the form .. math:: :label: schemeC \hat{F}(t,\kappa) &= C(t)\overline{f}(\alpha_{s}(t+\kappa),\kappa) \\ &= C(t)[1-\kappa\gamma(t+\kappa) + \frac{1}{2}\kappa^2(\gamma^2(t+\kappa)+\frac{d}{dt}\gamma(t+\kappa))+\dots]f(t+\kappa) \\ &= \hat{C}(t,\kappa)f(t+\kappa) where the last line is the definition of the scale-varied coefficients functions :math:`\hat{C}(t,\kappa)`. Note that they are different from the :math:`\overline{C}(t+\kappa,\kappa)` because, while the latter are obtained from the variation of the renormalization scale of the hard coefficients functions (and thus they estimate the |MHOU| coming from the perturbative expansion of the coefficients functions), the former are obtained from the variation of the renormalization scale inside the anomalous dimensions (and thus they estimate completely different |MHOU|, i.e. the ones coming from the perturbative expansion of the anomalous dimensions). Using the fact that .. math:: \frac{d}{dt}\gamma(\alpha_{s}) = \beta(\alpha_{s})\frac{d\gamma}{d\alpha_{s}} we can obtain the explicit perturbative expansion .. math:: \hat{C}(t,\kappa) = c_{0} + \alpha_{s}(t)(c_{1}-\kappa\gamma_{0})+\alpha_{s}^{2}(t)(c_{2}-\kappa(\gamma_{0}c_{1} + \gamma{1}c_{0}) + \frac{1}{2}\kappa^2 \gamma_{0}(\gamma_{0}+\beta_{0})c_{0})+ \dots Schemes ======= Let's now summarize the three different ways of estimating the |MHOU| coming from the anomalous dimensions * **Scheme A:** The renormalization scale of the anomalous dimensions is varied directly, as in :eq:`schemeA`, obtaining their scale-varied version. Then, it is used to compute the evolution operator which will produce the scale-varied PDF. However using this scheme requires refitting the |PDF| as the scale is varied. * **Scheme B:** The scale-dependence of the anomalous dimensions is factored out of the |PDF|, as in :eq:`schemeB`, in such a way the scale-varied |PDF| is simply obtained by the product of the central |PDF| evolved to the varied scale (:math:`t+\kappa`) with a term which is function of the central anomalous dimensions computed in the varied scale. In this case there is no need to refit the initial |PDF|. Moreover, this scheme is the most suited one for |VFNS|, since the |MHOU| in the |PDF| with different numbers of active flavors can each be estimated separately. * **Scheme C:** The factored scale-dependence of the anomalous dimensions is included in the definition of scale-varied coefficients functions, as in the last line of :eq:`schemeC`. Then, a scale-varied observable is computed trough the convolution of these scale-varied coefficients functions with the |PDF| evolved to the varied scale :math:`t+\kappa`. Note that, even if these schemes are formally equivalent, they can differ by subleading terms depending on the convention used to truncate the perturbative expansion. In fact, in **scheme A** some higher order terms of the anomalous dimensions expansion can be retained according to the kind of solution adopted for the evolution equation. In **scheme B** the exponential has been expanded so that it corresponds to a linearized solution of the evolution equations and in **scheme C** some terms coming from the cross-expansion of the coefficients functions and the linearized solution of the evolution equations have been dropped. Adding scale variations to a grid ################################# Since it is possible to compute scale variations terms at a certain perturbative order N+1 just from the knowledge of the central N order, `pineko` includes a tool to add the required scale variations order to a grid which contain the necessary central orders. The command to run it is:: pineko ren_sv_grid GRID_PATH OUTPUT_FOLDER_PATH MAX_AS NF ORDER_EXISTS where ``GRID_PATH`` is the path of the original grid, ``OUTPUT_FOLDER_PATH`` is the folder where the updated grid will be dumped, ``MAX_AS`` is the requested perturbative order of the QCD coupling and ``NF`` is the number of active flavors one wants to consider when computing the scale variations terms. If the original grid has already all the scale variations terms for the requested perturbative order, `pineko` will do nothing. If one want to force `pineko` to overwrite the already existing orders, it is enough to set ``ORDER_EXISTS`` to `True`.