Path integrals with discarded degrees of freedom

DOI10.1016/J.PHYSLETA.2018.12.002zbMATH Open1472.81134arXiv1807.07007OpenAlexW2902716935WikidataQ128894748 ScholiaQ128894748MaRDI QIDQ822874FDOQ822874

Authors: Luke M. Butcher 

Publication date: 24 September 2021

Published in: Physics Letters. A (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Whenever variables $phi=(ph{i}^1,ph{i}^2,ldots)$ are discarded from a system, and the discarded information capacity $mathcalS(x)$ depends on the value of an observable $x$, a quantum correction $Delta{V}_{m}athrmeff(x)$ appears in the effective potential [arXiv:1707.05789]. Here I examine the origins and implications of $Delta{V}_{m}athrmeff$ within the path integral, which I construct using Synge's world function. I show that the $phi$ variables can be `integrated out' of the path integral, reducing the propagator to a sum of integrals over observable paths $x(t)$ alone. The phase of each path is equal to the semiclassical action (divided by $hbar$) including the same correction $Delta{V}_{m}athrmeff$ as previously derived. This generalises the prior results beyond the limits of the Schr"odinger equation; in particular, it allows us to consider discarded variables with a history-dependent information capacity $mathcalS=mathcalS(x,in{t}^{t}f(x(t^{\prime }))mathrmd{t}^{\prime })$. History dependence does not alter the formula for $Delta{V}_{m}athrmeff$.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1807.07007

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zbMATH Keywords

path integralsinformation capacitycurved configuration spacediscarded variables

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Closed and approximate solutions to the Schrödinger, Dirac, Klein-Gordon and other equations of quantum mechanics (81Q05) Semiclassical techniques, including WKB and Maslov methods applied to problems in quantum theory (81Q20) Quantum mechanics on special spaces: manifolds, fractals, graphs, lattices (81Q35) Path integrals in quantum mechanics (81S40)

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Cited In (4)

• Quantum effective potential from discarded degrees of freedom
• Coordinate independence of path integrals in one-dimensional target space
• On the non-existence of path integrals
• Jaggedness of path integral trajectories

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