A unitary representation of the conformal group on Minkowski space and dynamical groups. I (Q1100566)

This paper studies the so called dynamical group of the n-dimensional non-relativistic quantum mechanical Kepler problem. This group turns out to be isomorphic to the real pseudo-orthogonal group \(O(2,n+1)\). First it is shown that there exists a Lie algebra G of formal differential operators on \({\mathbb{R}}^ n \)which has the following properties: The algebra G is isomorphic to the Lie algebra \(so(2,n+1)\) and contains the formal Hamiltonian operators for the positive and negative energy spectra of the Kepler problem. This much is done in the spirit of the work in the physics literature for the case \(n=3\). The main results of the paper show that there exists a unitary representation of the group \(O(2,n+1)\) whose differential is a skew self adjoint extension of the Lie algebra G. In outline, this group representation arises as a certain integral transform of a solution space of the \(n+1\)-dimensional wave equation on \({\mathbb{R}}^{n+1}\). The latter solution space is derived from a suitable non-unitary induced representation of \(O(2,n+1)\) induced by a certain maximal parabolic subgroup.