Journal of Statistical Physics, Vol. 99, Nos. 12, 2000. p. 557-586.
We derive norm bounds that imply the convergence of perturbation theory in fermionic quantum field theory if the propagator is summable and has a finite Gram constant. These bounds are sufficient for an application in renormaliza-tion group studies. Our proof is conceptually simple and technically elementary; it clarifies how the applicability of Gram bounds with uniform constants is related to positivity properties of matrices associated to the procedure of taking connected parts of Gaussian convolutions. This positivity is preserved in the decouplings that also preserve stability in the case of two-body interactions.