Eur. Phys. J. C (2011) 71: 1663
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-011-1663-9

Letter

Vacuum stability and the Cholesky decomposition

Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, 24-29 St. Giles’, Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK

^* e-mail: unwin@maths.ox.ac.uk

Received: 20 February 2011
Published online: 27 May 2011

Abstract

We discuss how the Cholesky decomposition may be used to ascertain whether a critical point of the field theory scalar potential provides a stable vacuum configuration. We then use this method to derive the stability conditions in a specific example.