Lattice free energy with overlap fermions: A two-loop result

Abstract

We calculate the two-loop partition function of QCD on the lattice, using the Wilson formulation for gluons and the overlap-Dirac operator for fermions. Direct by-products of our result are the two-loop free energy and average plaquette. Our calculation serves also as a prototype for further higher-loop calculations in the overlap formalism. We present our results as a function of a free parameter M0 entering the overlap action

the dependence on the number of colors N and fermionic flavors Nf is shown explicitly.