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Reality from maximizing overlap in the periodic complex action theory

Quantum Physics 2022-08-16 v2 High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

We study the periodic complex action theory (CAT) by imposing a periodic condition in the future-included CAT where the time integration is performed from the past to the future, and extend a normalized matrix element of an operator O^\hat{\mathcal O}, which is called the weak value in the real action theory, to another expression O^periodic time\langle \hat{\mathcal O} \rangle_{\mathrm{periodic}~\mathrm{time}}. We present two theorems stating that O^periodic time\langle \hat{\mathcal O} \rangle_{\mathrm{periodic}~\mathrm{time}} becomes real for O^\hat{\mathcal O} being Hermitian with regard to a modified inner product that makes a given non-normal Hamiltonian H^\hat{H} normal. The first theorem holds for a given period tpt_p in a case where the number of eigenstates having the maximal imaginary part BB of the eigenvalues of H^\hat{H} is just one, while the second one stands for tpt_p selected such that the absolute value of the transition amplitude is maximized in a case where B0B \leq 0 and B|B| is much smaller than the distances between any two real parts of the eigenvalues of H^\hat{H}. The latter proven via a number-theoretical argument suggests that, if our universe is periodic, then even the period could be an adjustment parameter to be determined in the Feynman path integral. This is a variant type of the maximization principle that we previously proposed.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2203.07795,
  title  = {Reality from maximizing overlap in the periodic complex action theory},
  author = {Keiichi Nagao and Holger Bech Nielsen},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2203.07795},
  year   = {2022}
}

Comments

Latex 14 pages, typos corrected, presentation improved, the final version to appear in Prog.Theor.Exp.Phys

R2 v1 2026-06-24T10:13:46.778Z