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arXiv:2002.09326 · International Journal of Geometric Methods in Modern Physics

Schwinger’s picture of quantum mechanics

Florio M. Ciaglia, F. Di Cosmo, A. Ibort, G. Marmo

Published Feb 13, 2020• 20 citations
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Abstract

In this paper, we will present the main features of what can be called Schwinger’s foundational approach to Quantum Mechanics. The basic ingredients of this formulation are the selective measurements, whose algebraic composition rules define a mathematical structure called groupoid, which is associated with any physical system. After the introduction of the basic axioms of a groupoid, the concepts of observables and states, statistical interpretation and evolution are derived. An example is finally introduced to support the theoretical description of this approach.

DOI
10.1142/s0219887820500541

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arXiv:1905.12274•International Journal of Geometric Methods in Modern Physics•May 23, 2019•33 citations
In this paper, we will present the main features of what can be called Schwinger’s foundational approach to Quantum Mechanics. The basic ingredients of this formulation are the selective measurements, whose algebraic composition rules define a mathematical structure called groupoid, which is associated with any physical system. After the introduction of the basic axioms of a groupoid, the concepts of observables and states, statistical interpretation and evolution are derived. An example is finally introduced to support the theoretical description of this approach.
The kinematical foundations of Schwinger’s algebra of selective measurements were discussed in [F. M. Ciaglia, A. Ibort and G. Marmo, Schwinger’s picture of quantum mechanics I: Groupoids, To appear in IJGMMP (2019)] and, as a consequence of this, a new picture of quantum mechanics based on groupoids was proposed. In this paper, the dynamical aspects of the theory are analyzed. For that, the algebra generated by the observables, as well as the notion of state, are discussed, and the structure of the transition functions, that plays an instrumental role in Schwinger’s picture, is elucidated. A Hamiltonian picture of dynamical evolution emerges naturally, and the formalism offers a simple way to discuss the quantum-to-classical transition. Some basic examples, the qubit and the harmonic oscillator, are examined, and the relation with the standard Dirac–Schrödinger and Born–Jordan–Heisenberg pictures is discussed.
Schwinger’s algebra of selective measurements has a natural interpretation in the formalism of groupoids. Its kinematical foundations, as well as the structure of the algebra of observables of the theory, were presented in [F. M. Ciaglia, A. Ibort and G. Marmo, Schwinger’s picture of quantum mechanics I: Groupoids, Int. J. Geom. Meth. Mod. Phys. (2019), arXiv: 1905.12274 [math-ph]. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219887819501196 . F. M. Ciaglia, A. Ibort and G. Marmo, Schwinger’s picture of quantum mechanics II: Algebras and observables, Int. J. Geom. Meth. Mod. Phys. (2019). https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219887819501366 ]. In this paper, a closer look to the statistical interpretation of the theory is taken and it is found that an interpretation in terms of Sorkin’s quantum measure emerges naturally. It is proven that a suitable class of states of the algebra of virtual transitions of the theory allows to define quantum measures by means of the corresponding decoherence functionals. Quantum measures satisfying a reproducing property are described and a class of states, called factorizable states, possessing the Dirac–Feynman “exponential of the action” form are characterized. Finally, Schwinger’s transformation functions are interpreted similarly as transition amplitudes defined by suitable states. The simple examples of the qubit and the double slit experiment are described in detail, illustrating the main aspects of the theory.
The kinematical foundations of Schwinger's algebra of selective measurements were discussed in a previous paper (arXiv:1905.12274) and, as a consequence of this, a new picture of quantum mechanics based on groupoids was proposed. In this paper, the dynamical aspects of the theory are analysed. For that, the algebra generated by the observables, as well as the notion of state, are dicussed, and the structure of the transition functions, that plays an instrumental role in Schwinger's picture, is elucidated. A Hamiltonian picture of dynamical evolution emerges naturally, and the formalism offers a simple way to discuss the quantum-to-classical transition. Some basic examples, the qubit and the harmonic oscillator, are examined, and the relation with the standard Dirac-Schr\"odinger and Born-Jordan-Heisenberg pictures is discussed.
The basic ingredients of the groupoid interpretation of Quantum Mechanics are discussed. Starting with the motivation to consider measure groupoids as the appropriate statistical and kinematical setting to describe quantum mechanical systems, the algebra of observables of the system is constructed as the von Neumann algebra of the groupoid. The interpretation of the theory for classical systems is briefly analysed. As a final application of these ideas, Feynman's sum-over-histories interpretation of the theory is discussed in the groupoid picture.
A new picture of Quantum Mechanics based on the theory of groupoids is presented. This picture provides the mathematical background for Schwinger’s algebra of selective measurements and helps to understand its scope and eventual applications. In this first paper, the kinematical background is described using elementary notions from category theory, in particular the notion of 2-groupoids as well as their representations. Some basic results are presented, and the relation with the standard Dirac–Schrödinger and Born–Jordan–Heisenberg pictures are succinctly discussed.