Abstract

We study the matching of the next-to-leading logarithmic approximation (NLLA) onto the fixed next-tonext-
to-leading order (NNLO) calculation for event shape distributions in electron–positron annihilation. The resulting theoretical predictions combine all precision QCD knowledge on the distributions, and are theoretically reliable over an extended kinematical range. Compared to previously available matched NLLA + NLO and fixed order NNLO results, we observe that the effects of the combined NLLA + NNLO are small in the three-jet region, relevant for precision physics.