English

Special-case closed form of the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula

Mathematical Physics 2015-05-19 v2 High Energy Physics - Theory math.MP Quantum Physics

Abstract

The Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula is a general result for the quantity Z(X,Y)=ln(eXeY)Z(X,Y)=\ln( e^X e^Y ), where XX and YY are not necessarily commuting. For completely general commutation relations between XX and YY, (the free Lie algebra), the general result is somewhat unwieldy. However in specific physics applications the commutator [X,Y][X,Y], while non-zero, might often be relatively simple, which sometimes leads to explicit closed form results. We consider the special case [X,Y]=uX+vY+cI[X,Y] = u X + vY + cI, and show that in this case the general result reduces to Z(X,Y)=ln(eXeY)=X+Y+f(u,v)  [X,Y]. Z(X,Y)=\ln( e^X e^Y ) = X+Y+ f(u,v) \; [X,Y]. Furthermore we explicitly evaluate the symmetric function f(u,v)=f(v,u)f(u,v)=f(v,u), demonstrating that f(u,v)=(uv)eu+v(ueuvev)uv(euev), f(u,v) = {(u-v)e^{u+v}-(ue^u-ve^v)\over u v (e^u - e^v)}, and relate this to previously known results. For instance this result includes, but is considerably more general than, results obtained from either the Heisenberg commutator [P,Q]=iI[P,Q]=-i\hbar I or the creation-destruction commutator [a,a]=I[a,a^\dagger]=I.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1501.02506,
  title  = {Special-case closed form of the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula},
  author = {Alexander Van-Brunt and Matt Visser},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1501.02506},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

V1: 5 pages. V2: 4 references added, some minor typos fixed, some discussion added. No change in conclusions. Now 6 pages. This version accepted for publication in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical