Fant\^omas Unconfined: global QCD fits with B\'ezier parameterizations
Abstract
Fant\^omas is a C++ toolkit for exploring the parametrization dependence of parton distribution functions (PDFs) and other correlator functions in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Fant\^omas facilitates the generation of adaptable polynomial parametrizations for PDFs, called metamorphs, to find best-fit PDF solutions and quantify the epistemic uncertainty associated with the parametrizations during their fitting. The method employs B\'ezier curves as universal approximators for a variety of PDF shapes. Integrated into the xFitter framework for the global QCD analysis, Fant\^omas provides a foundation for general models of PDFs, while reducing the computational time compared to the approaches utilizing traditional polynomial parametrizations as well as providing an interpretable alternative to neural-network-based models. This paper outlines the structure and practical usage of the Fant\^omas toolkit, including its inputs, outputs, and implementation within xFitter. It also provides a practical example of using Fant\^omas for uncertainty quantification as well as the combination of PDF fits into a single ensemble.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2507.22969,
title = {Fant\^omas Unconfined: global QCD fits with B\'ezier parameterizations},
author = {Lucas Kotz and Aurore Courtoy and T. J. Hobbs and Pavel Nadolsky and Fredrick Olness and Maximiliano Ponce-Chavez and Varada Purohit},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2507.22969},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
33 pages, technical release of the Fant\^omas code: https://gitlab.com/cteq-tea/public/fantomas4qcd