Can Euclidean lattice quantum field theory be analytically continued into Minkowski space?
High Energy Physics - Theory
2026-05-20 v1 High Energy Physics - Lattice
Abstract
In this paper, we attempt to test whether Euclidean lattice quantum field theory can be analytically continued into Minkowski space via the inverse Wick rotation. Our discussion indicates that such an analytical continuation is impossible without first taking the lattice theory to the continuum limit. The obstacle is that discretization of spacetime converts local quantum field theory into a theory with a nonlocal form factor, for which the Wick rotation is infeasible.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2605.18787,
title = {Can Euclidean lattice quantum field theory be analytically continued into Minkowski space?},
author = {B. P. Kosyakov and E. Yu. Popov and M. A. Vronsky},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.18787},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
6 pages, 1 figure