Formalism and assumptions involved in partial wave analysis of three-meson systems

The Illinois group has made partial-wave analysis of the reaction pi p to (3 pi )p. The authors have modified the Illinois program to study the reaction Kp to (K pi pi )p. A detailed description is given of the partial-wave analysis of any reaction of the kind: meson+proton to proton+(3 mesons). It is also shown that, with little modification, the method can be applied to the study of special four-meson systems like K omega . A discussion is given of the physical assumptions used and of their implications. (21 refs).