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Quantum geodesics in quantum mechanics

Mathematical Physics 2021-09-10 v2 High Energy Physics - Theory math.MP Quantum Algebra

Abstract

We show that the standard Heisenberg algebra of quantum mechanics admits a noncommutative differential calculus Ω1\Omega^1 depending on the Hamiltonian p2/2m+V(x)p^2/2m + V(x), and a flat quantum connection \nabla with torsion such that a previous quantum-geometric formulation of flow along autoparallel curves (or `geodesics') is exactly Schr\"odinger's equation. The connection \nabla preserves a generalised `skew metric' given by the canonical symplectic structure lifted to a certain rank (0,2) tensor on the extended phase space where we adjoin a time variable. We also apply the same approach to the Klein Gordon equation on Minkowski spacetime with a background electromagnetic field, formulating quantum `geodesics' on the relativistic Heisenberg algebra with proper time for the external geodesic parameter. Examples include a relativistic free particle wave packet and a hydrogen-like atom.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1912.13376,
  title  = {Quantum geodesics in quantum mechanics},
  author = {Edwin Beggs and Shahn Majid},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1912.13376},
  year   = {2021}
}

Comments

43 pages latex, 1 pdf figure. This was revised to make it much more readable, moving the Poisson geometry to the end. The harmonic oscillator example is now more substantial and we added a discussion of `Heisenberg flow' to complement the main Schroedinger wave function flow

R2 v1 2026-06-23T12:59:55.684Z