A local-to-global singularity theorem for quantum field theory on curved space-time (with an appendix by Rainer Verch) (Q1924092)

In the quantum field theory of a free scalar field on a globally hyperbolic space-time \((M,g)\) the Hadamard condition plays a crucial role, since it determines the class of physically realisable states. Its mathematical formulation appears in two versions: the local Hadamard condition specifying the singularity structure of the two point function \(\omega_2(x_1,x_2)\) for \(x_1\) close to \(x_2\), and the global Hadamard condition which again restricts the singularity of \(\omega_2\) but now on a causal neighbourhood of a Cauchy surface. The purpose of this paper is to show that Kay's conjecture [\textit{B. S. Kay}, in: Differential geometrical methods in theoretical physics, Proc. 16th Int. Conf., NATO Adv. Res. Workshop, Como/Italy 1987, 373-393 (1988; Zbl 0646.00009)] that a two point function of the free scalar field satisfies the local Hadamard condition iff it satisfies the global one can be proven as a special case of a more general local to global singularity theorem. Therefore the main theorem the author proves states that if a reference two point distribution of positive type on a time orientable space-time satisfies a certain condition on its wave front set (the ``class \({\mathcal P}_{M,g}\) condition'') and if any other two point distribution is of positive type, has the same antisymmetric part as the reference modulo smooth function, and has the same local singularity structure, then it has the same global singularity structure.