https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-019-6539-4
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Large 
scaling and factorization in 
Yang–Mills gauge theory
1
John von Neumann Institute for Computing (NIC), DESY, Platanenallee 6, 15738, Zeuthen, Germany
2
Insitut für Physik, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstr. 15, 12489, Berlin, Germany
3
Departamento de Física, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Ladrón de Guevara E11-253, Quito, Ecuador
4
Departamento de Física, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km. 30.5 Vía Perimetral, Guayaquil, Ecuador
* e-mail: miguel.garcia@epn.edu.ec
Received:
3
July
2018
Accepted:
21
December
2018
Published online:
17
January
2019
The large limit of gauge theories is well understood in perturbation theory. Also non-perturbative lattice studies have yielded important positive evidence that ’t Hooft’s predictions are valid. We go far beyond the statistical and systematic precision of previous studies by making use of the Yang–Mills gradient flow and detailed Monte Carlo simulations of pure gauge theories in 4 dimensions. With results for 
we study the limit and the approach to it. We pay particular attention to observables which test the expected factorization in the large limit. The investigations are carried out both in the continuum limit and at finite lattice spacing. Large scaling is verified non-perturbatively and with high precision; in particular, factorization is confirmed. For quantities which only probe distances below the typical confinement length scale, the coefficients of the 
expansion are of 
, but we found that large (smoothed) Wilson loops have rather large 
corrections. The exact size of such corrections does, of course, also depend on what is kept fixed when the limit is taken.
© The Author(s), 2019
