We try to review the main current ideas and points of view on the running coupling constant in QCD. We begin by recalling briefly the classic analysis based on the Renormalization Group Equations with some emphasis on the exact solutions for a given number of loops, in comparison with the usual approximate expressions. We give particular attention to the problem of eliminating the unphysical Landau singularities, and of defining a coupling that remains significant at the infrared scales. We consider various proposal of couplings directly related to the quark-antiquark potential or to other physical quantities (effective charges) and discuss optimization in the choice of the scale parameter and of the renormalization scheme. Our main focus is, however, on dispersive methods, their application, their relation with non-perturbative effects. We try also to summarize the main results obtained by Lattice simulations in particular in various MOM schemes. We conclude briefly recalling the traditional comparison with the experimental data.

In the 't Hooft-Veltman dimensional regularization scheme it is necessary to introduce finite counterterms to satisfy chiral Ward identities. It is a non-trivial task to evaluate these counterterms even at two loops.We suggest the use of Wilsonian exact renormalization group techniques to reduce the computation of these counterterms to simple master integrals.We illustrate this method by a detailed study of a generic Yukawa model with massless fermions at two loops.

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Using a theorem by Bonora-Pasti and Tonin on the existence of a solution for D=10N=1 Bianchi identities in the presence of a Lorentz Chern Simons term, we find an explicit parametrization of the superspace curvatures. Our solution depends only on one free parameter which can be reabsorbed in a field redefinition of the dilaton and of the gravitello. We emphasize that the essential point which enables us to obtain a closed form for the curvature parametrizations and hence for the supersymmetry transformation rules is the use of first order formalism. The spin connection is known once the torsion is known. This latter, rather than being identified with Hµνρ as it is usually done in the literature, is related to it by a differential equation which reduces to the algebraic relation Hµνρ = - 3Tµνρ e4/3σ only at γ1=0 (γ1 being proportional to κ/g2). The solution of the Bianchi identities exhibited in this paper corresponds to a D=10 anomaly free supergravity (AFS). This theory is unique in first order formalism but corresponds to various theories in second order formalism. Indeed the torsion equation is a differential equation which, in order to be solved must be supplemented with boundary conditions. One wonders whether supplemented with a judicious choice of boundary conditions for the torsion equation, AFS yields all the interaction terms found in the effective theory of the heterotic string (ETHS). In this respect two remarks are in order. Firstly it appears that solving the torsion equation iteratively with Tµνρ = -1/3Hµνρ e-4/3σ as starting point all the terms of ETHS except those with a ζ(3) coefficient show up. (Whether the coefficient agree is still to be checked.) Secondly, as shown in this paper the rheonomic solution of the super Poincaré Bianchi identities is unique. Hence additional interaction terms can be added to the Lagrangian only by modifying the rheonomic parametrization of the [Formula: see text]-curvature. The only assumption made in our paper is that [Formula: see text] has at most ψ∧ψ∧V components (sector (1,2)). Correspondingly the only room left for a modification of the present theory is the addition of a (0, 3) part in the rheonomic parametrization of [Formula: see text]. When this work was already finished a conjecture was published by Lechner Pasti and Tonin that such a generalization of AFS might exist and be responsible for the ζ(3) missing term. Indeed if we were able to solve the [Formula: see text]-Bianchi with this new (0, 3)-part then the torsion equation would be modified via new terms which, in second order formalism, lead to additional gravitational interactions. The equation of motion of Anomaly Free Supergravity can be worked out from the Bianchi identities: we indicate through which steps. The corresponding Lagrangian could be constructed with the standard procedures of the rheonomy approach. In this paper we limit ourselves to the bosonic sector of such a Lagrangian and we show that it can indeed be constructed in such a way as to produce the relation between Hµνρ and Tµνρ as a variational equation.

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