Status of the Lattice and Tau Decay Determinations of alpha_s

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent improvements in lattice and tau decay analyses that have reconciled their previously conflicting measurements of the strong coupling constant alpha_s(M_Z^2), highlighting progress and future prospects.

Contribution

It presents updated analyses of lattice and tau decay data that achieve excellent agreement in determining alpha_s(M_Z^2), advancing precision in strong interaction measurements.

Findings

Lattice and tau decay determinations of alpha_s(M_Z^2) are now in excellent agreement.

Recent analysis updates have improved the precision of alpha_s(M_Z^2) measurements.

Future prospects include further refinements in these methods.

Abstract

The two highest precision determinations of alpha_s(M_Z^2), that based on the analysis of short-distance-sensitive lattice observables, and that based on an analysis of hadronic tau decay data, have, until very recently, given results which are not in good agreement. I review new versions of these analyses which bring the two determinations into excellent agreement, and discuss prospects for additional future improvements.