Borel summation of perturbation series in quantum mechanics and field theory

The Borel summation of factorial divergent perturbation series is considered. The relation between the asymptotics of the coefficients in the series and the character of the exact function singularity is established. The applicability limits for the improved perturbation theory are obtained. The results are tested on a number of physical problems for which the exact solutions are available.     

On the stationary perturbation theory in quantum mechanics

A simple method is proposed for solving the Shcrödinger equation in the presence of a perturbation. Formally exact expressions are obtained in the form of infinite series for the energies and wave functions without assuming that the perturbation is small. Under the additional assumption that it is small (in accordance with a well-defined criterion of smallness) the obtained results yield directly the results of Schrödinger's perturbation theory. The developed approach contains in compact form various formulations of perturbation theory. The calculations use neither the complex technique of projection operators nor the complicated formalism of Green's functions.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 33–36, November, 1980.     

The perturbation series for φ 3 4 field theory is divergent

We prove in a rigorous way the statement of the title.     

On the anharmonic oscillator in quantum mechanics and in field theory

A modified Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation method is used to derive explicit expansions for the eigenvalues and eigensolutions of the anharmonic oscillator. We then point out the dual relationship between the anharmonic oscillator and the Schrödinger equation for a Yukawa potential. Finally we consider an application of the method to a field-theoretic Hamiltonian, since the anharmonic oscillator plays a dominant role in many field-theoretic models.     

On the summation of the Brillouin-Wigner type perturbation series

It is shown that if the ‘mean excitation energy’ assumption is introduced in the Brillouin-Wigner perturbation series, then the resulting series can be exactly summed. The implications of the result for calculating energy shift and for constructing trial functions are examined with special reference to the ground state of the helium atom.     

Alternative analysis to perturbation theory in quantum mechanics

We develop an alternative approach to the time independent perturbation theory in non-relativistic quantum mechanics. The method developed has the advantage to provide in one operation the correction to the energy and to the wave function; additionally we can analyze the time evolution of the system for any initial condition, which may be bothersome in the standard method. To verify our results, we apply our method to the harmonic oscillator perturbed by a quadratic potential. An alternative form of the Dyson series, in matrix form instead of integral form, is also obtained.     

Bohmian mechanics and quantum field theory

We discuss a recently proposed extension of Bohmian mechanics to quantum field theory. For more or less any regularized quantum field theory there is a corresponding theory of particle motion, which, in particular, ascribes trajectories to the electrons or whatever sort of particles the quantum field theory is about. Corresponding to the nonconservation of the particle number operator in the quantum field theory, the theory describes explicit creation and annihilation events: the world lines for the particles can begin and end.     

Stationary perturbation theory in the probability representation of quantum mechanics

In the probability representation of quantum mechanics, the eigenvalue problems in Hilbert space appear as *-genvalue equations. We show the possibility of employing the nondegenerate stationary perturbation method in the probability representation of quantum mechanics. The perturbed eigentomograms and the eigenvalues of energy are shown to be computed ab initio in terms of tomographic symbols of the operators involved.     

Noncommutative quantum mechanics from noncommutative quantum field theory

We derive noncommutative multiparticle quantum mechanics from noncommutative quantum field theory in the nonrelativistic limit. Particles of opposite charges are found to have opposite noncommutativity. As a result, there is no noncommutative correction to the hydrogen atom spectrum at the tree level. We also comment on the obstacles to take noncommutative phenomenology seriously and propose a way to construct noncommutative SU(5) grand unified theory.     

Imaginary-time method in quantum mechanics and field theory

An imaginary-time method was developed for calculating the probability of particle transmission through smooth barriers variable with time. Within the imaginary-time method, the tunneling process is described by using classical equations of motion written in terms of an imaginary time (t → it), while the probability of tunneling is determined by the imaginary part of the action functional, this imaginary part being calculated along the subbarrier particle trajectory. The fundamentals of the imaginary-time method are surveyed, and its applications in the theory of atomic-state ionization under the effect of constant electric and magnetic fields that have various configurations, in the field of intense monochromatic laser radiation and of an ultrashort electromagnetic pulse, in the process of Lorentz ionization of atoms and ions during their motion in a strong magnetic field, etc., are outlined. The applications of the imaginary-time method in relativistic cases—for example, in the theory of ionization of levels of multiply charged ions whose binding energy is commensurate with the electron rest energy—and in quantum field theory (Schwinger effect, which consists in the production of electron-positron pairs from a vacuum by a superstrong external field) are briefly described. Particular attention is given to methodological issues and details of the imaginary-time method that are of importance in solving specific physics problems, but which are usually skipped in original publications.     

Star products and quantum groups in quantum mechanics and field theory

Hopf algebras and quantum groups have recently been applied to the analysis of the combinatorics of Feynman graphs in relativistic quantum field theory. On the other hand, in accordance with the program of deformation quantization, the relation between star products and the perturbative expansion in field theory has also been the subject of intensive study. In the present work we clarify the relation between these two approaches. We show how these techniques can be applied in a unified way to quantum systems with a finite number of degrees of freedom and to quantum field theories. In particular, we find that the time-ordered product of quantum fields is the Weyl transform of a certain twisted product. We also show that one can pass from systems involving bosons to systems with fermions, essentially just by replacing the symmetric algebra of the relevant vector space by its exterior algebra.     

On the equivalence of standard and covariant perturbation series in non-polynomial pion lagrangian field theory

Recently a covariant perturbation approach has been developed to give a perturbation expansion of the chiral-invariant pion theory which does not depend on the choice of pion coordinates. We prove that this covariant approach is equivalent to standard perturbation theory. Our method explicitly shows how one can express covariant graphs by contributions of non-covariant ones and vice versa. We neglect contributions vanishing on the mass shell.     

Convergent perturbation expansions for Euclidean quantum field theory

Mayer perturbation theory is designed to provide computable convergent expansions which permit calculation of Greens functions in Euclidean quantum field theory to arbitrary accuracy, including nonper-turbative contributions from large field fluctuations. Here we describe the expansions at the example of 3-dimensional ⁴-theory (in continuous space). They are not essentially more complicated than standard perturbation theory. Then ^th order term is expressed in terms ofO(n)-dimensional integrals, and is of order ^k if 4k–3n4k.Dedicated to the memory of Kurt Symanzik     

A method for summation of perturbation series

A method for summation of perturbation series is developed. It consists of a proper rearrangement of the power series through an appropriate redefinition of the perturbation parameter. Well-known divergent power series appearing in a φ⁴-scalar field theory or in the treatment of the linear confining potential model and the Stark effect in hydrogen are used as illustrative examples. A comparison between present results and accurate, numerical ones shows that our series converge even faster than sequences of Padé or Borel-Padé approximants.     

On reformulating quantum mechanics and stochastic theory

A stochastic theory approach is used to formulate the theory of quantum mechanical motion. Apart from giving a unifying point of view to quantum mechanics and stochastic theory, the new formulation is not limited to forces derivable from a potential. A nonlinear dynamical law is deduced in contradistinction to previous works in whichad hoc linear laws are postulated.     

Quantum field theory overcomes Einstein's objections against quantum mechanics

It is shown that if zero-point oscillations are assumed to exist, quantum field theory will lack the determinism of classical physics. Scientific Research Institute for Nuclear Physics, Moscow University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 71–74, May, 1996.