Path integrals Definition and 57 Threads

Reading the introduction to path integrals given in the latest edition of Zee's "Quantum field theory in a nutshell", I have found a remark which I don't really understand. The author is evaluating the free particle propagator ##K(q_f, t; q_i, 0)## $$\langle q_f\lvert e^{-iHt}\lvert q_i...

In Feynman’s path integrals, there is: ∫dq″Π0(t″,t′;q″,q′)=1 What is the funny pi looking symbol?

I cannot seem to start answering the question as a result of the path not being provided. How do I solve this when the path is not provided? See picture below

Recall that in the semi-classical Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization scheme from the early days of quantum mechanics, bound orbits were quantized according to the value of the action integral around a single loop of a closed path. Clearly this only makes sense if the orbits in question permit closed...

Hello everyone ! I am new to this site so I 'd better say hello to you all ! I am finishing my BR in physics and part of this ending is to deliver a thesis . Long story short I must compute path-integrals in SU(2) and SU(3) pure yang-mills fields . Problem is that i was never very good with...

I have heard of phase space path integrals, but couldn't find anything in Wikipedia about it, so I am wondering, what does it compute ? In particular, are the endpoints points of definite position and momentum? If so, how does one convert them to quantum states ? Also, how is it related to...

So in particular, how could the determinant of some general "operator" like $$ \begin{pmatrix} f(x) & \frac{d}{dx} \\ \frac{d}{dx} & g(x) \end{pmatrix} $$ with appropriate boundary conditions (especially fixed BC), be computed? And assuming that it diverges, would it be valid in a stationary...

I don't understand a step in the derivation of the propagator of a scalar field as presented in page 291 of Peskin and Schroeder. How do we go from: $$-\frac{\delta}{\delta J(x_1)} \frac{\delta}{\delta J(x_2)} \text{exp}[-\frac{1}{2} \int d^4 x \; d^4 y \; J(x) D_F (x-y) J(y)]|_{J=0}$$ To...

Richard Feynman formulated quantum path integrals to show that a single photon can theoretically travel infinitely many different paths from one point to another. The shortest path, minimizing the Lagrangian, is the one most often traveled. But certainly other paths can be taken. Using single...

I expanded the exponential with the derivative to get: ## Z = \Bigg(1 + \frac{1}{2} \frac{\partial}{\partial x_{i}} A^{-1}_{ij} \frac{\partial}{\partial x_{j}} + \frac{1}{4} \frac{\partial}{\partial x_{i}} A^{-1}_{ij} \frac{\partial}{\partial x_{j}} \frac{\partial}{\partial x_{k}} A^{-1}_{kl}...

Wave optics, including diffraction, seems to be apt for path integral language. In fact, Feynman's double slit language is purely "diffraction". Also, the PDE for the wave equation results in a solution via Green's function, and the Green function is where "the path integral lives". I have...

I’m currently self-studying from Feynman & Hibbs Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals, but having trouble with a statement in the chapter on time-dependent perturbations. Background: They define $$V_{mn}(t_c) = \int_{-\infty}^\infty \phi_m^*(x_c)V(x_c,t_c)\phi_n(x_c)\,dx_c,$$ where V(x,t) is...

Since we only know Gaussian integration, could one get Green's function numerically with interacting action. Usual perturbation theory is tedious and limited, could one get high accurate result with PC beyond perturbation?

There is nothing wrong with the well known $$e^{i\theta}=\cos\theta+i\sin\theta$$ for real ## \theta## but what about $$\int_{-\infty}^\infty~e^{i\theta(p)}\mathrm{d}p=\int_{-\infty}^\infty~\cos\theta(p)\mathrm{d}p+i\int_{-\infty}^\infty~\sin\theta(p)\mathrm{d}p$$ I have been trying to use...

I have found a general result for certain exponential integrals that may be of interest to those involved with using path integrals. I am not certain that I am applying it correctly but it appears to work, and I can reproduce results quoted in various textbooks , using it. This may however be...

So I've heard from multiple sources that one explanation for why light slows down whilst traveling through mediums other than a vacuum is that the light "takes every possible path at the same time" through the medium. Below I've drawn my two possible interpretations of what that means. Can...

Why isn't (5.298) the following instead? ##K(x, t_1; x', t_0) = \delta(x-x')\,e^{-\frac{i}{\hbar}H(t_1-t_0)}## My reasoning: Since \Psi(x, t_1) = e^{-\frac{i}{\hbar}H(t_1-t_0)}\,\Psi(x, t_0)\\ = e^{-\frac{i}{\hbar}H(t_1-t_0)}\,\int\delta(x-x')\Psi(x', t_0)\,dx' The exponential operator with...

Homework Statement Consider the following scalar theory formulated in two-dimensional Euclidean space-time; S=∫d2x ½(∂μφ∂μφ + m2φ2) , a) Determine the equations of motion for the field φ. b) Compute the propagator; G(x,y) = ∫d2k/(2π)2 eik(x-y)G(k). Homework Equations Euler-Lagrange equations...

Homework Statement Hi, I am just trying to wrap my head around using path integrals and there are a few things that are confusing me. Specifically, I have seen examples in which you can use it to calculate the ground state shift in energy levels of a harmonic oscillator but I don't see how you...

Feynman Path Integrals are a way of calculating the wave function of quantum mechanics. It usually integrates every possible path through all of space. I wonder if there is any study of Feynman path integrals through a space with holes in it - with regions of space excluded from the integration...

Can anyone suggest me a good reference for path integrals (QFT), apart from peskin.

Typical introductions to path integrals start with asking for the value of \langle x_1,t_1 | x_2,t_2 \rangle. This is usually interpreted as the probability amplitude of observing a particle at x_2 at time time t_2 given that it is located at x_1 at t_1. But is this so? I am having trouble...

"The" Classical Path, QM Path Integrals and Paths in Curved Spacetime Hey Guys! I've got an exciting question! It's been burning on my mind for years, but I think I can formulate it now. It's not so much a specific question, but rather a physical story which perhaps this thread can uncover...

I'm going through a whole undergrad quantum book (Townsend) by myself. It has a chapter on path integral QM. He said in the intro that it can be skipped, but I was wondering if knowledge of this subject is immediately helpful when starting graduate level quantum. I start grad school in the...

Path Integrals-- Multivariable Calculus Hi all-- really stuck here, help would be greatly appreciated. :) 1. Evaluate ∫F
ds (over c), where F(x, y, z) = (y, 2x, y) and the path c is defined by the equation c(t) = (t, t^2, t^3); on [0, 1]: 2. Homework Equations L = sqrt(f'(t)^2 +...

Hi, I am reading through the book "Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals" by Feynman and Hibbs and am having a bit of trouble with problem 3-12. The question is (all Planck constants are the reduced Planck constant and all integrals are from -infinity to infinity): The wavefunction for a...

Homework Statement A fluid as velocity field F(x, y, z) = (xy, yz, xz). Let C denote the unit circle in the xy-plane. Compute the circulation, and interpret your answer.Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution Since the unit circle is a closed loop, I assumed that ∫ F * dr = 0 (the ∫ symbol...

Homework Statement Evaluate ∫ F ds over the curve C for: a) F = (x, -y) and r(t) = (cos t, sin t), 0 ≤ t ≤ 2∏ b) F = (yz, xz, xy) where the curve C consists of straight-line segments joining (1, 0, 0) to (0, 1, 0) to (0, 0, 1) Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution a) I first found the...

The combination of special relativity and quantum mechanics in a single framework makes our understanding of such systems to be true only in 4D, Minkowski space...I have noticed that recent published work concerning 2D systems and I am not sure about this reduction of 4D to only 2D, does it mean...

Alright, so I was wondering if anyone could help me figure out from one step to the next... So we have defined |qt>=exp(iHt/\hbar)|q> and we divide some interval up into pieces of duration τ Then we consider <q_{j+1}t_{j+1}|q_{j}t_{j}> =<q_{j+1}|e-iHτ/\hbar|q_{j}>...

Hello, I tried to read Feynman's book: Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals but it is so difficult. Is it a really important book if you want to learn Quantum Mechanics? If so what should I do in preparation to read it? Thanks

It is frequently stated that path integral formulation of quantum mechanics is equivalent to the more traditional canonical quantization. However, I don't think it is really true. I claim that, unlike canonical quantization, path integral quantization is not self-sufficient. That's because...

Hello! I have a hard time getting to know what this exponential W(J) really is about. What is it even called? Zee writes: Z(J) = Z(J=0) * e^(i W(J)), and I suppose that this is the term that should be evaluated by summing over all possible pair of sources? What is W(J) for a system with 2...

Hello fellow physicists! Last meeting with my supervisor I had just recovered from disease so all I have left are some equations for the math behind path integrals that don't make to much sense.. I was wondering if, maybe someone can help and clarify what he was trying to get at. It would be...

What is the relationship between the quantum mechanical path integral and classical mechanics path integral?

If I understand correctly--a big if--the path integration method, at least when applied to plain old QM, is described as (1) every possible path the particle could take is assigned an amplitude, (2) sum up (integrate over) these amplitudes for all possible paths. The problem I have with this...

Hi, I'm desperately searching for some literature which discusses the harmonic oscillator, preferably simple, in terms of the path integral formulation. I am unfamiliar with dirac notation and want something as simple as possible which gives general results of the harmonic oscillator in terms of...

What is the correct way to use the term trajectory in physics when discussin path integral forumaltion calculations. Here is the sentence i am trying to complete and am unsure if i may use the term trajectory: So the wavefunction offers a much more simplistic and perhaps more beautiful way to...

Steven Hawking writes in A Brief History of Time that time itself must sometimes have an imaginary component in order for Feynman's Sum-Over-Histories approach to work. Why, in a nutshell, is this so? Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone, I was reading through the section on path integrals in Srednicki's QFT book. I came across equation 6.22 \langle 0|0\rangle_{f,h} = \int\mathcal{D}p\mathcal{D}q\exp{\left[i\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}dt\left(p\dot{q}-H_{0}(p,q)-H_{1}(p,q)+fq+hp\right)\right]} =...

I have a question in Srednicki's book regarding path integrals, but first I'll set it up so that no familiarity of the book is required to answer the question. The vacuum to vacuum transition amplitude for the photon field in the presence of a source is given by: <0|0>_J=\int \mathcal D A...

When calculating a path integral, if the Lagrangian is quadratic in the field, then you can perform the path integral by just substituting in the classical solution for the field. So if you have free-field Lagrangians for electrons and photons, and add the standard QED interaction term - which...

Hello I am trying to follow how one can define a correlation function of two quantum fields using Path integrals. I have stumbled on equation 9.16 in Peskin, where they states that the functional integral can be split into: \int D \phi(x) = \int D\phi _1 (\vec{x}) \int D \phi _2 (\vec{x} )...

I can't find any good references on Euclideanizing path integrals (from Minkowski to Euclidean metric). I understand how this is done in perturbative 1-loop calculations, where the pole structure of the Feynman propagators are used to perform the so-called Wick Rotation. This seems to be a...

Hey folks, I'm reading Zee 'Introduction to QFT' and have a quick question on some terminology. On page 10 he describes how: \langle q_f|e^{-iHT}|q_i \rangle "is the amplitude for a particle to go from some initial state to some final state". He then derives the path integral...

If I understand correctly--a big if--the path integration method, at least when applied to plain old QM, is described as (1) every possible path the particle could take is assigned an amplitude, (2) sum up (integrate over) these amplitudes for all possible paths. The problem I have with this...

Does anyone understand how weinberg in his QFT book does QED via path integrals: specifically, how does he integrate out the adjoint dirac spinor?

What is the 'fundamental' maths behind path integrals in QM?

I am trying to study QFT from Weinberg's Vol. 1. I am at the moment stuck at the path integral quantization of QED (Weinberg's treatment). I am not sure how he integrates out the matter field momenta (for the spinor field) in eq. (9.6.5). I thought for spinor fields you don't do that...

we know that for the SE equation we find the propagator (i\hbar \partial _{t} - \hbar ^{2} \nabla +V(x,y,z) )K(x,x')=\delta (x-x') with m=1/2 for simplicity then we know that the propagator K(x,x') may be obtained from the evaluation of the Path integral. K(x,x')=C \int \mathcal...