Regularizing Feynman path integrals using the generalized Kontsevich-Vishik trace

DOI10.1063/1.5001147MaRDI QIDQ4600244zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors T. Hartung

Publication date 8 January 2018

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

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03451

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Analytic continuation of functions of one complex variable (30B40) Fourier integral operators applied to PDEs (35S30) Feynman integrals and graphs; applications of algebraic topology and algebraic geometry (81Q30) Path integrals in quantum mechanics (81S40) Model quantum field theories (81T10)

Abstract: A fully regulated definition of Feynman's path integral is presented here. The proposed re-formulation of the path integral coincides with the familiar formulation whenever the path integral is well-defined. In particular, it is consistent with respect to lattice formulations and Wick rotations, i.e., it can be used in Euclidean and Minkowskian space-time. The path integral regularization is introduced through the generalized Kontsevich-Vishik trace, that is, the extension of the classical trace to Fourier Integral Operators. Physically, we are replacing the time-evolution semi-group by a holomorphic family of operator families such that the corresponding path integrals are well-defined in some half space of $mathbbC$. The regularized path integral is, thus, defined through analytic continuation. This regularization can be performed by means of stationary phase approximation or computed analytically depending only on the Hamiltonian and the observable (i.e., known a priori). In either case, the computational effort to evaluate path integrals or expectations of observables reduces to the evaluation of integrals over spheres. Furthermore, computations can be performed directly in the continuum and applications (analytic computations and their implementations) to a number of models including the non-trivial cases of the massive Schwinger model and a $varph{i}^4$ theory.

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Cited in

(6)

• Phase space Feynman path integrals of parabolic type on the torus as analysis on path space
• Integrating gauge fields in the -formulation of Feynman's path integral
• Zeta-regularized vacuum expectation values
• Some comments on rigorous finite-volume Euclidean quantum field path integrals in the analytical regularization scheme
• Phase-space Feynman path integrals on a torus with general functional integrands via piecewise bicharacteristic paths
• Phase-space Feynman path integrals on the torus for general functionals as analysis on path space

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