The c-number variation in the quantum-mechanical action principle of Schwinger is extended to a q-number variation which uses an action integral analogous to the classical modified Hamilton action integral. An explicit realization of the admissible q-number variation for the hamiltonian operator, H, given by H(q,p,t)= 1 / 2 p j g jk (q)p k + 1 / 2 (A j (q),p j )+W(q,t) is discussed in terms of Gauteaux variation. The action principle yields the correct Hamilton-Heisenberg equations and a relationship between the lagrangian L and the hamiltonian H. It is also shown that while the fundamental commutation relation is successfully derived by Schwinger in his c-number variational principle, the same argument cannot be used in the present q-number variation. A new method of quantization is suggested.
The c-number variation in the quantum-mechanical action principle of Schwinger is extended to a q-number variation which uses an action integral analogous to the classical modified Hamilton action integral. An explicit realization of the admissible q-number variation for the hamiltonian operator, H, given by H(q,p,t)= 1 / 2 p j g jk (q)p k + 1 / 2 (A j (q),p j )+W(q,t) is discussed in terms of Gauteaux variation. The action principle yields the correct Hamilton-Heisenberg equations and a relationship between the lagrangian L and the hamiltonian H. It is also shown that while the fundamental commutation relation is successfully derived by Schwinger in his c-number variational principle, the same argument cannot be used in the present q-number variation. A new method of quantization is suggested.
Abstract Chapter 4 introduces the Schwinger Action Principle, along with associated particle and potential sources. While the methods described here originally arose in the relativistic quantum field theory of elementary particle physics, they have also profoundly advanced our understanding of non-relativistic many-particle physics. The Schwinger Action Principle is a quantum-mechanical variational principle that closely parallels the Hamilton Principle of Least Action of classical mechanics, generalizing it to include the role of quantum operators as generalized coordinates and momenta. As such, it unifies all aspects of quantum theory, incorporating Hamilton equations of motion for those operators and the Heisenberg equation, as well as producing the canonical equal-time commutation/anticommutation relations. It yields dynamical coupled field equations for the creation and annihilation operators of the interacting many-body system by variational differentiation of the Hamiltonian with respect to the field operators. Also, equations for the development of matrix elements (underlying Green’s functions) are derived using variations with respect to particle and potential “sources” (and coupling strength). Variational calculus, involving impressed potentials, c-number coordinates and fields, also quantum operator coordinates and fields, is discussed in full detail. Attention is given to the introduction of fermion and boson particle sources and their use in variational calculus.
Quantum theory is developed from a q-number (operator) action principle with a representation-invariant technique for limiting the number of independent system variables. It is shown that in a q-number theory such a limitation on the number of variations is necessary, since a completely arbitrary q-number variation implies an infinite number of conditions to be satisfied. This implication arises because, in a q-number theory, the system variables are matrices which, in most cases, have an infinite number of elements, each of which is independently varied in a completely arbitrary q-number variation. A review of Schwinger's quantum field theory formalism shows that the limitation to c- number variations, while accomplishing the desired limitation on the number of independent variations, is not representation-invariant, i.e., under a change of representation, c-number variations applied to the original system variables transform to q-number variations of the new system variables. In the Hamiltonian formulation of classical mechanics, invariant infinitesimal canonical transformations are generated by constants of the motion. It is also possible to generate infinitesimal invariant transformations from constants of the motion in the classical Lagrangian formulation. This latter possibility is exploited to obtain a q-number theory. It is demanded that the variations of the system variablesmore » in the action principle be the invariant infinitesimal transformations generated by constants of the motion. This requirement accomplishes the desired limitation of the number of independent variations in a representation-invariant manner. The resulting theory is developed in detail for a certain class of Lagrangian functions. A set of commutation relations is derived and a dynamical principle for determining the temporal development of the system is postulated. A discussion of the results, including consideration of the self-consistency of the formalism developed, is presented. Finally, a specific problem is worked through and it is shown that the results obtained correspond with those of the canonical method of quantization.« less
A previous q-number variational method is extended to be applicable to any quantum system for which the classical Lagrangian is given by Lc=½gij\dotqi\dotqj+ui\dotqi-v. The q-number variation is necessary for the formulation to be form-invariant under a general space-time transformation. From the action principle, not only the Euler-Lagrange equation but also the commutation relations up to a constant factor are obtained. Futhermore the form of the quantum Lagrangian is, to some extent, decided in order for solutions to exist for the action principle. It is shown that the first Noether theorem holds and the quantization is consistent with the canonical formalism.
Since the ordinary c-number variation principle does not lead, for a non-linear Lagrangian, to the result consistent between the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms, Schwinger's variation principle is reformulated for a type of Lagrangian L=½\dotqigij(q)\dotqj-u(q) by means of a q-number variation. The canonical momentum, the Hamiltonian, the canonical commutation relations and equation of motion are derived. Also the Euler-Lagrange equation is obtained, which is consistent with the canonical equation of motion. These consequences are exactly the same as those of previous papers, but different from the ordinary ones in the Euler-Lagrange equation and the Hamiltonian.
We begin with a presentation of the Schwinger variational principle in quantum mechanics. In the second part, after a re-assessment of the problem of motion in quantum mechanics, it is shown that the Green kernel, which represents the probability amplitude of finding a particle in space at a given time, once its location at another time is known, can be represented by a sum over ‘space–time paths’. According to this interpretation, one integrates the exponential of i times the classical action divided by ħ, with a (formal) measure over all space–time paths matching the initial location x i at time t i and the final location x f at time t f . Such a way of evaluating the Green kernel is applied to any quadratic Lagrangian for a generic quantum system including, in particular, the harmonic oscillator and the free particle. Lastly, we outline a formalism which involves ordinary functions of commuting variables, and exactly reproduces ordinary quantum mechanics. It works with a phase space endowed with commuting coordinates, so that one is dealing with quantum mechanics in phase space. The Schwinger formulation of quantum dynamics In both the Schrödinger formulation in terms of wave functions (with associated state vectors) and the Heisenberg formulation in terms of noncommuting matrices (with corresponding linear operators) the dynamical evolution is specified in terms of the Hamiltonian. This has motivated our presentation of classical dynamics, but is in marked contrast with the view according to which the Lagrangian and the action specify the dynamics. Hamilton's principle is formulated in terms of the action, the time integral of the Lagrangian.