In this paper, we survey recent progress on the constructive theory of the Feynman operator calculus. (The theory is constructive in that, operators acting at different times, actually commute.) We first develop an operator version of the Henstock-Kurzweil integral, and a new Hilbert space that allows us to construct the elementary path integral in the manner originally envisioned by Feynman. After developing our time-ordered operator theory we extend a few of the important theorems of semigroup theory, including the Hille-Yosida theorem. As an application, we unify and extend the theory of time-dependent parabolic and hyperbolic evolution equations. We then develop a general perturbation theory and use it to prove that all theories generated by semigroups are asympotic in the operator-valued sense of Poincare. This allows us to provide a general theory for the interaction representation of relativistic quantum theory. We then show that our theory can be reformulated as a physically motivated sum over paths, and use this version to extend the Feynman path integral to include more general interactions. Our approach is independent of the space of continuous functions and thus makes the question of the existence of a measure more of a natural expectation than a death blow to the foundations for the Feynman integral.
In this note we outline some novel connections between the following fields: 1) Convolution calculus on white noise spaces 2) Pseudo-differential operators and Lévy processes on infinite dimensional spaces 3) Feynman graph representations of convolution semigroups 4) generalized renormalization group flows and 5) the thermodynamic limit of particle systems.
For a given base space $M$ (spacetime), we consider the Guichardet space over the Guichardet space over $M$. Here we develop a ''field calculus'' based on the Guichardet integral. This is the natural setting in which to describe Green function relations for Boson systems. Here we can follow the suggestion of Schwinger and develop a differential (local field) approach rather than the integral one pioneered by Feynman. This is helped by a DEFG (Dyson-Einstein-Feynman-Guichardet) shorthand which greatly simplifies expressions. This gives a convenient framework for the formal approach of Schwinger…
{Let $B=(B_1(t),...,B_d(t))$ be a $d$-dimensional fractional Brownian motion with Hurst index $α<1/4$, or more generally a Gaussian process whose paths have the same local regularity. Defining properly iterated integrals of $B$ is a difficult task because of the low Hölder regularity index of its paths. Yet rough path theory shows it is the key to the construction of a stochastic calculus with respect to $B$, or to solving differential equations driven by $B$. We intend to show in a series of papers how to desingularize iterated integrals by a weak, singular non-Gaussian perturbation of the Ga…
In this paper, we provide a representation theory for the Feynman operator calculus. This allows us to solve the general initial-value problem and construct the Dyson series. We show that the series is asymptotic, thus proving Dyson's second conjecture for QED. In addition, we show that the expansion may be considered exact to any finite order by producing the remainder term. This implies that every nonperturbative solution has a perturbative expansion. Using a physical analysis of information from experiment versus that implied by our models, we reformulate our theory as a sum over paths. Thi…
We present a new methodology, suitable for implementation on computer, to perform the $ε$-expansion of hypergeometric functions with linear $ε$ dependent Pochhammer parameters in any number of variables. Our approach allows one to perform Taylor as well as Laurent series expansion of multivariable hypergeometric functions. Each of the coefficients of $ε$ in the series expansion is expressed as a linear combination of multivariable hypergeometric functions with the same domain of convergence as that of the original hypergeometric function. We present illustrative examples of hypergeometric func…
Given a Feynman parameter integral, depending on a single discrete variable $N$ and a real parameter $ε$, we discuss a new algorithmic framework to compute the first coefficients of its Laurent series expansion in $ε$. In a first step, the integrals are expressed by hypergeometric multi-sums by means of symbolic transformations. Given this sum format, we develop new summation tools to extract the first coefficients of its series expansion whenever they are expressible in terms of indefinite nested product-sum expressions. In particular, we enhance the known multi-sum algorithms to derive recur…
We introduce perturbative Feynman integrals in the context of q-calculus generalizing the Gaussian q-integrals introduced by Diaz and Teruel. We provide analytic as well as combinatorial interpretations for the Feynman-Jackson integrals.
We argue that the variational calculus leading to Euler's equations and Noether's theorem can be replaced by equivariance and invariance conditions avoiding the action integral. We also speculate about the origin of Lagrangian theories in physics and their connection to Feynman's integral.
We consider functional Schrödinger equations associated with a wide class of Hamiltonians in all Fock representations of the bosonic canonical commutation relations, in particular the Cook-Fock, Friedrichs-Fock, and Bargmann-Fock models. An infinite-dimensional symbolic calculus allows us to prove the convergence of the corresponding Hamiltonian Feynman integrals for propagators of coherent states.
We develop in this article the principal constructive arguments used in quantum field theory, limiting us to bosonic theories, for which there does not exist any recent general presentation. The article is primarily written for mathematicians or mathematical physicists knowing the basic arguments of quantum field theory, and desiring to discover a general framework in which they can be made rigorous. It also provides a glimpse of a recent series of articles \cite{MagUnt1,MagUnt2} whose aim is to give a constructive definition of rough paths and fractionary stochastic calculus.
A representation of the perturbation series of a general functional measure is given in terms of generalized Feynman graphs and -rules. The graphical calculus is applied to certain functional measures of Lévy type. A graphical notion of Wick ordering is introduced and is compared with orthogonal decompositions of the Wiener-Itô-Segal type. It is also shown that the linked cluster theorem for Feynman graphs extends to generalized Feynman graphs. We perturbatively prove existence of the thermodynamic limit for the free energy density and the moment functions. The results are applied to the gas o…
We review some relations occurring between the combinatorial intersection theory on the moduli spaces of stable curves and the asymptotic behavior of the 't Hooft-Kontsevich matrix integrals. In particular, we give an alternative proof of the Witten-Di Francesco-Itzykson-Zuber theorem --which expresses derivatives of the partition function of intersection numbers as matrix integrals-- using techniques based on diagrammatic calculus and combinatorial relations among intersection numbers. These techniques extend to a more general interaction potential.
From path integral quantization to stochastic quantization: a pedestrian's journey
CPHT, CNRS, École polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris（法国国家科学研究中心，巴黎综合理工学院，巴黎理工学院）；SISSA (International School for Advanced Studies)（国际高等研究院）；Heidelberg University（海德堡大学）
The first part of this thesis proposes a general approach to infinite dimensional non-Gaussian analysis, including the Poissonian case. In particular distribution theory is developed. Using appropriate integral transformations, generalized and test functionals are characterized in terms of holomorphy. Furthermore differential operators, Wick product and change of measure are discussed. In the second part the Gaussian case (White Noise Analysis) is worked out in more detail. Furthermore operators on distribution spaces e.g. compositions with shifts and complex scaling are discussed. In the thir…
It is widely accepted that the Feynman integral is one of the most promising methodologies for defining a generally covariant formulation of nonperturbative interacting quantum field theories (QFTs) without a fixed prearranged causal background. Recent literature suggests that if the spacetime metric is not fixed, e.g. because it is to be quantized along with the other fields, one may not be able to avoid considering the Feynman integral in the original Lorentz signature, without Wick rotation. Several mathematical phenomena are known, however, which are at some point showstoppers to a mathema…
Functionals of a stochastic process Y(t) model many physical time-extensive observables, e.g. particle positions, local and occupation times or accumulated mechanical work. When Y(t) is a normal diffusive process, their statistics are obtained as the solution of the Feynman-Kac equation. This equation provides the crucial link between the expected values of diffusion processes and the solutions of deterministic second-order partial differential equations. When Y(t) is an anomalous diffusive process, generalizations of the Feynman-Kac equation that incorporate power-law or more general waiting …
Path integrals are a central tool when it comes to describing quantum or thermal fluctuations of particles or fields. Their success dates back to Feynman who showed how to use them within the framework of quantum mechanics. Since then, path integrals have pervaded all areas of physics where fluctuation effects, quantum and/or thermal, are of paramount importance. Their appeal is based on the fact that one converts a problem formulated in terms of operators into one of sampling classical paths with a given weight. Path integrals are the mirror image of our conventional Riemann integrals, with f…
Using integration by parts relations, Feynman integrals can be represented in terms of coupled systems of differential equations. In the following we suppose that the unknown Feynman integrals can be given in power series representations, and that sufficiently many initial values of the integrals are given. Then there exist algorithms that decide constructively if the coefficients of their power series representations can be given within the class of nested sums over hypergeometric products. In this article we will work out the calculation steps that solve this problem. First, we will present …
Polynomial sequences $p_n(x)$ of binomial type are a principal tool in the umbral calculus of enumerative combinatorics. We express $p_n(x)$ as a \emph{path integral} in the ``phase space'' $\Space{N}{} \times {[-π,π]}$. The Hamiltonian is $h(ϕ)=\sum_{n=0}^\infty p_n'(0)/n! e^{inϕ}$ and it produces a Schrödinger type equation for $p_n(x)$. This establishes a bridge between enumerative combinatorics and quantum field theory. It also provides an algorithm for parallel quantum computations. Keywords: Feynman path integral, umbral calculus, polynomial sequence of binomial type, token, Schrödinger …
These notes were inspired by the course ''Quantum Field Theory from a Functional Integral Point of View'' given at the University of Zurich in Spring 2017 by Santosh Kandel. We describe Feynman's path integral approach to quantum mechanics and quantum field theory from a functional integral point of view, where the main focus lies in Euclidean field theory. The notion of Gaussian measure and the construction of the Wiener measure are covered. Moreover, we recall the notion of classical mechanics and the Schrödinger picture of quantum mechanics, where it shows the equivalence to the path integr…
