English

Geometric Quantization by Paths, Part III: The Metaplectic Anomaly

Mathematical Physics 2026-02-02 v1 math.MP

Abstract

In the previous parts of this work, we established the Prequantum Groupoid Tω\mathbf{T}_\omega as the universal geometric container for quantum mechanics. This approach, which we call the "Geometric Quantization by Paths" (GQbP) framework, replaces the traditional construction of principal bundles with the distillation of the space of histories. In this third part, we cross the "Threshold of Analysis" by constructing the intrinsic observable algebra of the system. The harmonic oscillator is treated here as a validation case, demonstrating that the standard resolution via complex polarization and half-forms is naturally integrated into the GQbP framework. Starting from the complexified groupoid, we define the algebra using symplectic half-densities to ensure a canonical convolution product. We then show that the transition to a polarized representation forces a factorization of these densities. The action of the symmetry group on the polarized half-forms generates a divergence term, which we identify as the source of the zero-point energy of the harmonic oscillator, E0=n/2E_0 = n\hbar/2. This derivation resolves the "Metaplectic Anomaly" as a necessary geometric consequence of the intrinsic quantization process.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2601.23259,
  title  = {Geometric Quantization by Paths, Part III: The Metaplectic Anomaly},
  author = {Patrick Iglesias-Zemmour},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.23259},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

Part III of the trilogy "Geometric Quantization by Paths". This part serves as a proof of concept of parts I & II - arXiv:2508.11337 & arXiv:2512.24627. It derives the exact spectrum of the harmonic oscillator and its singularity-free propagator from the intrinsic convolution algebra of the prequantum groupoid, resolving the metaplectic anomaly in a complex polarized scheme

R2 v1 2026-07-01T09:28:12.835Z