Variation of Scalar Field Action: Polchinski's AdS/CFT Review

In summary, the conversation is about a question regarding the equality of two terms in the variation of a scalar effective bulk action in Polchinski's review on AdS/CFT. The terms are shown through formulas (3.19) and (3.20), and the question is why the two terms from Leibnitz are equal. The person asking the question clarifies that they are referring to the equality at the bottom of their post, and the conversation ends with a discussion on the second equality and its validity.
  • #1
craigthone
59
1
I am reading Polchinski's review on AdS/CFT https://arxiv.org/abs/1010.6134.
I have a very simple question, and please help me out. Thanks in advanced.

The question abou formula (3.19)
The scalar effective bulk action is given by
$$ S_0=\frac{\eta}{2}\epsilon^{1-D}\int d^Dx \phi_{\rm cl} \partial_\epsilon \phi_{\rm cl}$$
The variation of ##S_0## is given by
$$ \delta S_0={\eta}\epsilon^{1-D}\int d^Dx \delta \phi_{\rm cl} \partial_\epsilon \phi_{\rm cl}$$

My question is why the two terms from Leibnitz are equal?
The variation of ##S_0## is given by
$$\int d^Dx \delta \phi_{\rm cl} \partial_\epsilon \phi_{\rm cl}=\int d^Dx \phi_{\rm cl} \partial_\epsilon \delta \phi_{\rm cl}$$
 
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  • #2
Which two terms are equal? Are you talking about the equality at the bottom of your post?
 
  • #3
stevendaryl said:
Which two terms are equal? Are you talking about the equality at the bottom of your post?
yes, sorry for my expression.
$$ \delta S_0=\frac{\eta}{2}\epsilon^{1-D}\int d^Dx \delta \phi_{\rm cl} \partial_\epsilon \phi_{\rm cl}+\frac{\eta}{2}\epsilon^{1-D}\int d^Dx \phi_{\rm cl} \partial_\epsilon \delta \phi_{\rm cl} ={\eta}\epsilon^{1-D}\int d^Dx \delta \phi_{\rm cl} \partial_\epsilon \phi_{\rm cl}$$
why does the 2nd equality hold?
 
Last edited:

1. What is a scalar field?

A scalar field is a mathematical concept used in physics to describe a quantity that has only magnitude and no direction. It can be thought of as a function that assigns a scalar value (a number) to every point in space.

2. What is the AdS/CFT correspondence?

The AdS/CFT correspondence is a duality proposed by Juan Maldacena in 1997 that relates two seemingly different theories: Anti-de Sitter space (AdS) and Conformal Field Theory (CFT). It states that a theory in AdS space is equivalent to a CFT in one less dimension. This correspondence has important implications in theoretical physics, particularly in the study of quantum gravity.

3. Who is Polchinski and why is his AdS/CFT review significant?

Joseph Polchinski is a theoretical physicist who made significant contributions to string theory and quantum field theory. His AdS/CFT review paper, published in 2000, provided a comprehensive and influential analysis of the AdS/CFT correspondence, further advancing our understanding of this important duality.

4. How does variation of scalar field action relate to the AdS/CFT correspondence?

The AdS/CFT correspondence can be understood through the variation of scalar field action, which is a mathematical tool used to describe the dynamics of a scalar field. Variations in the scalar field action correspond to variations in the AdS space and can be used to derive the equations of motion in both AdS and CFT theories.

5. What are the practical applications of the AdS/CFT correspondence?

The AdS/CFT correspondence has many potential applications, particularly in the study of black holes and quantum gravity. It has also been used to study condensed matter systems and has potential applications in quantum computing. However, much more research is needed to fully understand and utilize the implications of this duality.

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