Three-loop renormalization of the SU(Nc) non-abelian Thirring model

We renormalize to three loops a version of the Thirring model where the fermion fields not only lie in the fundamental representation of a non-abelian colour group SU( N-c) but also depend on the number of flavours, N-f. The model is not multiplicatively renormalizable in dimensional regularization due to the generation of evanescent operators which emerge at each loop order. Their effect in the construction of the true wave function, mass and coupling constant renormalization constants is handled by considering the projection technique to a new order. Having constructed the <(MS)over bar> renormalization group functions we consider other massless independent renormalization schemes to ensure that the renormalization is consistent with the equivalence of the non-abelian Thirring model with other models with a four-fermi interaction, One feature to emerge from the computation is the establishment of the fact that the SU(Nf) Gross-Neveu model is not multiplicatively renormalizable in dimensional regularization. An evanescent operator arises first at three loops and we determine its associated renormalization constant explicitly. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.