Parameter counting in models with global symmetries

Understand

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.