A rigorous development of the continuous representation of Hilbert space by bounded, continuous, multidimensional phase-space functions ψ(p, q) is presented. It is shown that these functions form a closed subspace of L2(p, q) whose elements are functions and not equivalence classes. Differential properties are investigated and it is pointed out that there are a multitude of definitions whereby ψ(p, q) possesses continuous derivatives of all orders. In one of these definitions, each ψ(p, q) is proportional to a multidimensional, entire function f(q − ip), establishing a connection between Bargmann's Hilbert space of entire functions and one example of a continuous representation. Attention is devoted to the purely functional characterization of the continuous representation by means of the reproducing kernel as a special case of Aronszajn's general theory. Properties of various operators in a continuous representation are carefully defined.
A rigorous development of the continuous representation of Hilbert space by bounded, continuous, multidimensional phase-space functions ψ(p, q) is presented. It is shown that these functions form a closed subspace of L2(p, q) whose elements are functions and not equivalence classes. Differential properties are investigated and it is pointed out that there are a multitude of definitions whereby ψ(p, q) possesses continuous derivatives of all orders. In one of these definitions, each ψ(p, q) is proportional to a multidimensional, entire function f(q − ip), establishing a connection between Bargmann's Hilbert space of entire functions and one example of a continuous representation. Attention is devoted to the purely functional characterization of the continuous representation by means of the reproducing kernel as a special case of Aronszajn's general theory. Properties of various operators in a continuous representation are carefully defined.
In a continuous representation of Hilbert space, each vector ψ is represented by a complex, continuous, bounded function ψ(φ) ≡ (φ, ψ) defined on a set S of continuously many, nonindependent unit vectors φ having rather special properties: Each vector in S possesses an arbitrarily close neighboring vector, and the identity operator is expressable as an integral over projections onto individual vectors in S. In particular cases it is convenient to introduce labels for the vectors in S whereupon each ψ is represented by a complex, continuous, bounded, label-space function. Basic properties common to all continuous representations are presented, and some applications of the general formalism are indicated.
A large class of continuous representations of separable Hilbert spaces is constructed with the aid of representations of the canonical commutation relations (CCR) for a scalar boson field φ(f) and its canonical conjugate π(g). A representation of the CCR for a scalar boson field consists of two operator-valued functions V[g] and W[f], defined for all f, g in Schwartz's space 𝒮 of real test functions, where V[g] and W[f] are unitary operators defined on some separable Hilbert space ℌ, and which satisfy the commutation relations V[g]W[f] = e−i(f,g) W[f]V[g]. These unitary operators are related to the field and its momenta by V[g] = e−iπ(g), W[f] = eiφ(f). We explicitly construct a family of such representations with the help of von Neumann's theory of infinite direct products of Hilbert spaces, the pertinent parts of which are reviewed. A continuous representation ℌ of the Hilbert space ℭ is composed of a linear vector space of complex, bounded, continuous functionals defined on 𝒮 × 𝒮. These functionals are defined for all Ψ∈H by ψ(f, g)=(V[g]W[f]Φ0, Ψ). In this definition, Φ0 is a fixed unit vector in ℌ. The properties of the functions in ℭ depend on the choice of the representation of the CCR and on the choice of Φ0. When ℭ is constructed with the aid of an irreducible representation of the CCR, an inner product can be defined for all pairs of functionals in ℭ by an intuitively meaningful, rigorously defined integral in the sense of Friedrichs and Shapiro. With this inner product, ℭ is a complete Hilbert space congruent with ℌ. As in all continuous representations, a reproducing kernel exists and determines the functions in the continuous representation. One such space is closely related to a space of analytic functionals introduced by Segal and Bargmann. The representation of various operators as kernels and as functional derivatives is discussed. Finally, the construction of a vast number of unitary invariants for a representation of the CCR is used to establish the unitary inequivalence of uncountably many of the representations that we construct.
Although• quantum mechanics has achieved great success in the explanation of physical phenomena, the mathematics used in quantum mechanics is not rigorous.Unrigorous treatments occur in the case of continuous spectrum.In a Hilbert • space, let A be a self-adjoint operator.When we define the eigenvalue and the eigenelement by the ' ' relation Af=J.f, (1) ' ' h d -. -f(q)=).f(q)2m dq has solutions 2,ri f(q)=ce"Aq for any ;.., But these are not quadratically integrable.E. Hellinger and H. Weyi< 0 have already investigated the problem of continuous spectrum and introduced the " eigendifferential."But they are concerned with a special problem, i. e. bounded quadratic forms and solutions of differential equation.In respect of generality, they do not satisfy.< 2 > E. Fues< 3 > and some other writers<" have used this conception " eigendifferential " in quantum mechanics.But the treatments are either complicated or not rigorous.J. v. Neumann< 5 > has proved that in Hilbert space, for any selfadjoint operator A, there exists a resolution of identity E(;..) such that Af= J:and he has applied this theory to quantum mechanics.Although his theory gave a rigorous mathematical foundation to quantum mechanics, it did not give any interpretation to the representation theory of Dirac's form.Recently I investigated the "theory of vector-valued set functions."This theory removes the difficulties in the treatement of continuous spectrum, and gives a rigorous interpretation to the representation theory.< 5 > The vector-valued set function q(U) is a function of set U, and its functional value is an element (vector) in the Hilbert ,space, (1) E. Hellinger [l], 231-271.H. Weyl [1], 238-251.(2) T. Carlemann used this conception "eigendifferential" in the treatise of singular integral equations.Cf.T. Carlemann [1].(3) E. Fues [1], 295-303.(4) For example, L. de Broglie [2], 140-159.(5) J. v. Neumann [1], 53-121.(6) F. Maeda [2], [5], [6].A summary of the theory of vector-valued set functions is given in the first part Qf the present paper.(1) G. Temple has formulated a principle of quantum theory in which projective operators are given priority over self-adjoint operators.(C(.G. Temple [1)).But. the .whole discussion differs from that of my present paper.
A study on a method for the establishment of a phase space representation of quantum theory is presented. The approach utilizes the properties of Gaussian distribution, the properties of Hermite polynomials, Fourier analysis and the current formulation of quantum mechanics which is based on the use of Hilbert space and linear operators theory. Phase space representation of quantum states and wave functions in phase space are introduced using properties of a set of functions called harmonic Gaussian functions. Then, new operators called dispersion operators are defined and identified as the operators which admit as eigenstates the basis states of the phase space representation. Generalization of the approach for multidimensional cases is shown. Examples of applications are given.
After the link ?R‖ψ (?r) 〉 = ‖ψ (r) 〉 between the real-space geometric operator ? and a uniquely associated new function-space operator ?R is established, the real-space development of Paper I is extended into function space. Several examples then illustrate the central theorem of group representation theory as used in quantum mechanics: for a given physical system, the energy eigenvectors {‖ψi(ν)(r) 〉} corresponding to the eigenvalue Eν constitute a subspace of Hilbert space invariant with respect to the system’s group of symmetry operators, and a set of basis vectors spanning that subspace can produce an irreducible representation of that group. Or, more simply, symmetry in real space determines symmetry in function space. And it is from and appreciation of the symmetry properties of states and operators in Hilbert space that the useful arguments of group representation theory flow.
In Paper I of this investigation a new calculus for functions of noncommuting operators was developed, based on the notion of mapping of operators onto c-number functions. With the help of this calculus, a general theory is formulated, in the present paper, of phase-space representation of quantum-mechanical systems. It is shown that there is a whole class of such representations, one associated with each type of mapping, the simplest one being the well-known representation due to Weyl. For each representation, the quantum-mechanical expectation value of an operator is found to be expressible in the form of a phase-space average of classical statistical mechanics. The phase-space distribution functions are, however, not true probabilities, in general. The phase-space forms of the main quantum-mechanical equations of motion are obtained and are found to have the form of a generalized Liouville equation. The phase-space form of the Bloch equation for the density operator of a quantum system in thermal equilibrium is also derived. The generalized characteristic functions of boson systems are defined and their main properties are studied. The equations of motion for the characteristic functions are also derived. As an illustration of the theory, a generalized stochastic description of a quantized electromagnetic field is obtained.