Point-splitting regularization for gauge theories: Quantum electrodynamics

As a method of regularization, point splitting has played an essential role in the recent theoretical determination of the masses of the Higgs boson and the top quark. It is the purpose of this paper to put this pointsplitting regularization on a firm basis. The result turns out to be extremely simple: replace the usual vertex factor-ieγ ^µ in quantum electrodynamics by $$ - ie(\gamma _\mu - \frac{{\not p}}{{p \cdot \delta }}\delta _\mu ),$$ wherep is the momentum of the photon line, andδ ^µ is the distance for point splitting. No additional vertices are needed.