Parameter counting in models with global symmetries

TL;DR

This paper develops rules for counting physical parameters in models with global flavor symmetries, demonstrating their application through toy examples and analysis of the MSSM.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic method for parameter counting in symmetric models, clarifying the impact of symmetries on physical parameter enumeration.

Findings

Rules accurately determine physical parameters in symmetric models

Toy examples validate the counting method

Application to MSSM illustrates practical relevance

Abstract

We present rules for determining the number of physical parameters in models with exact flavor symmetries. In such models the total number of parameters (physical and unphysical) needed to described a matrix is less than in a model without the symmetries. Several toy examples are studied in order to demonstrate the rules. The use of global symmetries in studying the minimally supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) is examined.