The inclusive flavor-breaking τ-based sum rule determination of Vus

We revisit the puzzle of the >3σ low (c.f. three-family-unitarity expections) determination of Vus from the conventional implementation of flavor-breaking (FB) finite-energy sum rules (FESRs) employing inclusive hadronic τ decay data. Problems with this implementation are identified and an alternative implementation which cures them described. Using this new implementation and preliminary BaBar results for the exclusive τ→K−π0ντ find Vus=0.2228(23)exp(6)th, in excellent agreement with results from other sources. Limitations on the near-term possibilities for reducing experimental errors in this approach are highlighted, and a new proposal for improving this situation via dispersive analyses of strange hadronic τ data using lattice data as input described.