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arXiv:2112.05619

Introduction to Koopman-von Neumann Mechanics

Daniel Piasecki

Published Dec 10, 2021• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

This work is to consolidate current literature on Koopman-von Neumann (KvN) Mechanics into a simple and easy to understand text. KvN Mechanics is a branch of Classical Mechanics that has been recast into the mathematical language of Quantum Mechanics. KvN Mechanics utilizes a Hilbert phase space with operators to calculate the expectation values of observables of interest (expectation values such as position, momentum, etc.) It is an important tool in statistical physics and guide to illuminate the mysterious relationship between Quantum and Classical Physics. A lot of important applications of KvN Mechanics have been developed in the last decade.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2112.05619

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This work is to consolidate current literature on Koopman-von Neumann (KvN) Mechanics into a simple and easy to understand text. KvN Mechanics is a branch of Classical Mechanics that has been recast into the mathematical language of Quantum Mechanics. KvN Mechanics utilizes a Hilbert phase space with operators to calculate the expectation values of observables of interest (expectation values such as position, momentum, etc.) It is an important tool in statistical physics and guide to illuminate the mysterious relationship between Quantum and Classical Physics. A lot of important applications of KvN Mechanics have been developed in the last decade.
The Koopman-von Neumann (KvN) theory is one where the dynamical momentum is not canonically conjugate to position, i.e., position and momentum are deconjugated. From this point of view, we show that the KvN theory arises from quantum mechanics, extracting classical equations of motion from quantum ones. However, preserving the canonical structure of the theory requires introducing ``auxiliary'' canonical conjugates to position and momentum. We show that using the KvN formulation to study the interaction between quantum and classical systems forces the auxiliary variables to take on a physical role. While giving rise to classical behaviour, the KvN theory might be more than classical.
Abstract This paper revisits the textbook ‘particle in a box’, but from the point of view of Koopman–von Neumann (KvN) mechanics. KvN mechanics is a way to describe classical dynamics in a Hilbert space. That simple fact changes the usual expectation: hard walls do not force energy quantization here. We show, in a clear and physical way, why a KvN particle confined between two ideal walls still has a continuous range of energies. With the correct wall condition, one that captures ordinary elastic reflection rather than ‘vanishing at the boundary,’ the KvN description naturally produces spatial confinement without discrete energy levels. Beyond establishing this result, we also clarify a common root of confusion that can arise when one attempts to solve this problem: treating the KvN wavefunction as though it were a quantum probability amplitude in position space alone leads to the wrong boundary picture and, consequently, to the wrong conclusion about quantization.
The so-called Koopman-von Neumann (KvN) formulation brings classical mechanics to Hilbert space, but many techniques familiar from quantum mechanics remain missing. We use the gauge freedom of the KvN equation to derive separable solutions of the KvN equation, and by extension the classical Liouville equation. The canonical ensemble solution of statistical mechanics is shown to arise from separable solutions. We discuss the Hermiticity of the Liouvillian operator, and treat a case where its spectrum is discrete. Finally, we analyze an uncertainty relation between the so-called dynamical time and the Liouvillian, and argue that such a relation is natural and can be understood entirely within a classical framework.
Hilbert-space techniques are widely used not only for quantum theory, but also for classical physics. Two important examples are the Koopman-von Neumann (KvN) formulation and the method of ``classical'' wave functions. As this paper explains, these two approaches are conceptually distinct. In particular, the method of classical wave functions was not due to Bernard Koopman and John von Neumann, but was developed independently by a number of later researchers, perhaps first by Mario Schönberg, with key contributions from Angelo Loinger, Giacomo Della Riccia, Norbert Wiener, and E. C. George Sudarshan. The primary goals of this paper are to explain these two approaches, describe the relevant history in detail, and give credit where credit is due.
The Koopman–von Neumann (KvN) formulation recasts deterministic classical mechanics in a Hilbert-space operator framework analogous to quantum mechanics. In this approach, the Liouville equation is expressed as a Schrödinger-type evolution equation generated by a Hermitian operator, yielding unitary propagation for phase-space-volume-preserving dynamics. We first clarify the relationship among the Koopman, Perron–Frobenius, and Liouville operators through an explicit example. Wilczek's construction shows that the KvN formalism is not only restricted to canonical Hamiltonian mechanics but this can be generalized any first-order classical dynamical system. Wilczek shows how a general autonomous first-order system can be generated by a Hermitian temporal-evolution operator after the introduction of auxiliary conjugate variables. We develop the KvN description of systems driven by Hamiltonian curl forces–position-dependent, non-conservative forces that are non-dissipative and preserve phase-space volume. Finally, we extend the KvN formalism to non-Hamiltonian systems using the Jacobi Last Multiplier and examine its connection to the Boltzmann H-theorem.
The Koopman-von Neumann (KvN) formalism recasts classical mechanics in a Hilbert space framework using complex wavefunctions and linear operators, akin to quantum mechanics. Instead of evolving probability densities in phase space (as in Liouville's equation), KvN uses a Schrödinger-like equation for a classical wavefunction, with commuting position and momentum operators. Mapped to quantum computing, KvN offers a promising route to simulate classical dynamical systems using quantum algorithms by leveraging unitary evolution and quantum linear algebra tools, potentially enabling efficient classical-to-quantum mappings without invoking full quantum uncertainty. In this work, we specifically explore the implementation of the KvN approach on continuous-variable photonic quantum computing architectures, with the goals of leveraging quantum simulation for both sampling and computing intractable nonlinear dynamics. We will demonstrate its implementation and feasibility with two problems: the harmonic oscillator and a 1D partial differential equation governing nonlinear dynamics.