Bras and Kets in Euclidean Path Integrals
High Energy Physics - Theory
2025-11-11 v2
Abstract
Quantum mechanics requires a hermitian inner product <~,~> -- linear in one variable, antilinear in the other -- while the inner product (~,~) that comes most naturally from Euclidean path integrals is linear in each variable. Here we discuss the relation between the two inner products. In a theory with no time-reversal or reflection symmetry, they differ by an operator that complex conjugates the wavefunction and reverses the orientation of space; in the presence of reflection and time-reversal symmetry, space is unoriented so such an operator cannot be defined, but the time-reversal symmetry T is available instead and plays the same role.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2503.12771,
title = {Bras and Kets in Euclidean Path Integrals},
author = {Edward Witten},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2503.12771},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
23 pp, minor corrections in this version