# Is normal-ordering useful in supersymmetric theories?

As far as I know, the most immediate effects of normal-ordering is the elimination of the zero-point energy (and the zero-point background of any conserved charge) and the elimination of tadpoles in perturbation theory.

In SUSY the zero-point background of all charges is zero, and (in the theories I've studied) there are not tadpoles either. So it seems that normal-ordering is essentially effectless. Is this true to all practical purposes, or is there some point where normal-ordering is useful?

• note: I am using tadpole in its generalised sense: "... diagrams with a propagator that connects back to its originating vertex are often also referred as tadpoles." – AccidentalFourierTransform Aug 12 '17 at 14:13
• note 2: perhaps Apparent failure of SUSY nonrenormalization theorem might be related? – AccidentalFourierTransform Aug 12 '17 at 14:16
• Your "Tadpole" definition also excludes the one-loop correction to the $\phi^4$-Theory. Is that intended? – Neuneck Aug 18 '17 at 12:13
• @Neuneck yes. Note that such a diagram is momentum-independent so it can be entirely reabsorbed into the mass counter-term, so it is essentially irrelevant. – AccidentalFourierTransform Aug 18 '17 at 12:15