The construction of spinors in geometric algebra

DOI10.1016/J.AOP.2004.11.008MaRDI QIDQ2484466zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Matthew R. Francis, Arthur Kosowsky

Publication date 1 August 2005

Published in Annals of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math-ph/0403040

Applications of Lie groups to the sciences; explicit representations (22E70) Finite-dimensional groups and algebras motivated by physics and their representations (81R05) Spinor and twistor methods applied to problems in quantum theory (81R25) Clifford algebras, spinors (15A66)

Abstract: The relationship between spinors and Clifford (or geometric) algebra has long been studied, but little consistency may be found between the various approaches. However, when spinors are defined to be elements of the even subalgebra of some real geometric algebra, the gap between algebraic, geometric, and physical methods is closed. Spinors are developed in any number of dimensions from a discussion of spin groups, followed by the specific cases of

e x t U (1)

,

S U (2)

, and

e x t S L (2, m a t h b b C)

spinors. The physical observables in Schr"{o}dinger-Pauli theory and Dirac theory are found, and the relationship between Dirac, Lorentz, Weyl, and Majorana spinors is made explicit. The use of a real geometric algebra, as opposed to one defined over the complex numbers, provides a simpler construction and advantages of conceptual and theoretical clarity not available in other approaches.

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