English

Sum-over-histories representation for the causal Green function of free scalar field theory

High Energy Physics - Theory 2014-12-15 v1

Abstract

A set of Green functions Gα(xy),α[0,2π[{\cal G}_{\alpha}(x-y), \alpha \in [0, 2 \pi [, for free scalar field theory is introduced, varying between the Hadamard Green function Δ1(xy)\linebreak[2]\lsta0{φ(x),φ(y)}\rsta0\Delta_1(x-y) \equiv \linebreak[2] \lsta{0} \hspace{-0.1cm} \{ \varphi(x), \varphi(y) \} \hspace{-0.1cm} \rsta{0} and the causal Green function Gπ(xy)=iΔ(xy)[φ(x),φ(y)]{\cal G}_{\pi}(x-y) = i \Delta(x-y) \equiv [\varphi(x), \varphi(y)]. For every α[0,2π[\alpha \in [0, 2 \pi [ a path-integral representation for Gα{\cal G}_{\alpha} is obtained both in the configuration space and in the phase space of the classical relativistic particle. Especially setting α=π\alpha = \pi a sum-over-histories representation for the causal Green function is obtained. Furthermore using BRST theory an alternative path-integral representation for Gα{\cal G}_{\alpha} is presented. From these path integral representations the composition laws for the Gα{\cal G}_{\alpha}'s are derived using a modified path decomposition expansion.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.hep-th/9311018,
  title  = {Sum-over-histories representation for the causal Green function of free scalar field theory},
  author = {Oliver Rudolph},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:hep-th/9311018},
  year   = {2014}
}

Comments

14 pages, latex, DESY 93-145