Abstract
We present in analytic form the matching conditions for the strong coupling constant at the flavor thresholds to three loops in the modified minimal-subtraction scheme. Taking into account the recently calculated coefficient of the Callan-Symanzik beta function of quantum chromodynamics, we thus derive a four-loop formula for together with appropriate relationships between the asymptotic scale parameters for different numbers of flavors .
- Received 28 April 1997
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.79.2184
©1997 American Physical Society