Related papers: Dirac and the Path Integral
Entwined space-time paths are bound pairs of trajectories which are traversed in opposite directions with respect to macroscopic time. In this paper we show that ensembles of entwined paths on a discrete space-time lattice are simply…
We re-use some original ideas of de~Broglie, Schr\"odiger, Dirac and Feynman to revise the ensemble interpretation of wave function in quantum mechanics. To this end we introduce coherence (auto-concordance) of ensembles of quantum…
We give, for the first time, the English translation of a manuscript by Ettore Majorana, which probably corresponds to the text for a seminar delivered at the University of Naples in 1938, where he lectured on Theoretical Physics. Some…
Work belongs to the most basic notions in thermodynamics but it is not well understood in quantum systems, especially in open quantum systems. By introducing a novel concept of work functional along individual Feynman path, we invent a new…
In 1926, Dirac stated that quantum mechanics can be obtained from classical theory through a change in the only rule. In his view, classical mechanics is formulated through commutative quantities (c-numbers) while quantum mechanics requires…
Path integral formulations for gauge theories must start from the canonical formulation in order to obtain the correct measure. A possible avenue to derive it is to start from the reduced phase space formulation. In this article we review…
We consider the problem of constrained motion along a conic path under a given external potential function. The model is described as a second-class system capturing the behavior of a certain class of specific quantum field theories. By…
Local path integral quantization of generic 2D dilaton gravity is considered. Locality means that we assume asymptotic fall off conditions for all fields. We demonstrate that in the absence of `matter' fields to all orders of perturbation…
In these lecture notes, I describe the motivation behind a recent formulation of a non-perturbative gravitational path integral for Lorentzian (instead of the usual Euclidean) space-times, and give a pedagogical introduction to its main…
The traditional approach to accelerator optics, based mainly on classical mechanics, is working excellently from the practical point of view. However, from the point of view of curiosity, as well as with a view to explore quantitatively the…
Relativity and quantum mechanics are two cornerstones of modern physics, yet their unification within a single-particle path integral and a dynamical explanation of quantum measurement remain unresolved. Historically, these two problems…
Path integrals are a ubiquitous tool in theoretical physics. However, their use is sometimes hindered by the lack of control on various manipulations -- such as performing a change of the integration path -- one would like to carry out in…
A systematic derivation is given of the worldline path integrals for the effective action of a multiplet of Dirac fermions interacting with general matrix-valued classical background scalar, pseudoscalar, and vector gauge fields. The first…
In 1931, Dirac advanced a startling prediction about the existence of a new elementary particle, characterized by a magnetic charge of a single polarity: the magnetic monopole. This prediction, that was not based on experimental reasons but…
By adapting Feynman's sum over paths method to a quantum mechanical system whose phase space is a torus, a new proof of the Landsberg-Schaar identity for quadratic Gauss sums is given. In contrast to existing non-elementary proofs, which…
The Dirac method is used to analyze the classical and quantum dynamics of a particle constrained on a circle. The method of Lagrange multipliers is scrutinized, in particular in relation to the quantization procedure. Ordering problems are…
This paper proposes an approach of the unified consideration of classical and quantum mechanics from the standpoint of the complex analysis effects. It turns out that quantization can be interpreted in terms of the Riemann surface…
The Liouville equation differs from the von Neumann equation 'only' by a characteristic superoperator. We demonstrate this for Hamiltonian dynamics, in general, and for the Jaynes-Cummings model, in particular. -- Employing superspace…
In this paper we analytically study the problem of pricing an arithmetically averaged Asian option in the path integral formalism. By a trick about the Dirac delta function, the measure of the path integral is defined by an effective action…
I consider the case of two interacting scalar fields, \phi and \psi, and use the path integral formalism in order to treat the first classically and the second quantum-mechanically. I derive the Feynman rules and the resulting equation of…