On the Boundary Entropy of One-dimensional Quantum Systems at Low Temperature

The boundary β function generates the renormalization group acting on the universality classes of one-dimensional quantum systems with boundary which are critical in the bulk but not critical at the boundary. We prove a gradient formula for the boundary β function, expressing it as the gradient of the boundary entropy s at fixed nonzero temperature. The gradient formula implies that s decreases under renormalization, except at critical points (where it stays constant). At a critical point, the number exp(s) is the “ground-state degeneracy,” g, of Affleck and Ludwig, so we have proved their long-standing conjecture that g decreases under renormalization, from critical point to critical point. The gradient formula also implies that s decreases with temperature, except at critical points, where it is independent of temperature. It remains open whether the boundary entropy is always bounded below.