Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:gr-qc/9811078 · Journal of Mathematical Physics

The action operator for continuous-time histories

Ntina Savvidou

Published Nov 1, 1999• 71 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We define the action operator for the consistent histories formalism, as the quantum analog of the classical action functional, for the simple harmonic oscillator case. We conclude that the action operator is the generator of time transformations, and is associated with the two types of time evolution of the standard quantum theory: the wave-packet reduction and the unitary time evolution. We construct the corresponding classical histories and demonstrate the relevance with the quantum histories. Finally, we show the relation of the action operator to the decoherence functional.

DOI
10.1063/1.533050

Related papers

Imperial/TP/98–99/13. The action operator for continuous-time histories

K. Savvidou

We define the action operator for the consistent histories formalism, as the quantum analogue of the classical action functional, for the simple harmonic oscillator case. We conclude that the action operator is the generator of time transformations, and is associated with the two types of time-evolution of the standard quantum theory: the wave-packet reduction and the unitary time-evolution. We construct the corresponding classical histories and demonstrate the relevance with the quantum histories. Finally, we show the relation of the action operator to the decoherence functional. 1

•Jan 1, 1998•0 citations

Continuous Time in Consistent Histories

Ntina Savvidou

We discuss the case of histories labelled by a continuous time parameter in the {\em History Projection Operator} consistent-histories quantum theory. We describe how the appropriate representation of the history algebra may be chosen by requiring the existence of projection operators that represent propositions about time averages of the energy. We define the action operator for the consistent histories formalism, as the quantum analogue of the classical action functional, for the simple harmonic oscillator case. We show that the action operator is the generator of two types of time transformations that may be related to the two laws of time-evolution of the standard quantum theory: the `state-vector reduction' and the unitary time-evolution. We construct the corresponding classical histories and demonstrate the relevance with the quantum histories; we demonstrate how the requirement of the temporal logic structure of the theory is sufficient for the definition of classical histories. Furthermore, we show the relation of the action operator to the decoherence functional which describes the dynamics of the system. Finally, the discussion is extended to give a preliminary account of quantum field theory in this approach to the consistent histories formalism.

arXiv:gr-qc/9912076•Dec 17, 1999•13 citations

Phase space representations and perturbation theory for continuous-time histories

Aidan Burch

We consider two technical developments of the formalism of continuous-time histories. First, we provide an explicit description of histories of the simple harmonic oscillator on the classical history phase space, comparing and contrasting the Q, P, and Wigner representations; we conclude that a representation based on coherent states is the most appropriate. Second, we demonstrate a generic method for implementing a perturbative approach for interacting theories in the history formalism, using the quartic anharmonic oscillator. We make use of the identification of the closed-time-path generating functional with the decoherence functional to develop a perturbative expansion for the latter up to second order in the coupling constant. We consider both configuration space and phase space histories.

arXiv:quant-ph/0701186•Journal of Mathematical Physics•Jul 1, 2007•1 citation

Continuous-time histories: Observables, probabilities, phase space structure and the classical limit

Charis Anastopoulos

The continuous-time histories program stems from the consistent histories approach to quantum theory and aims to provide a fully covariant formalism for quantum mechanics. In this paper we examine some structural points of the formalism. We demonstrate a general construction of history Hilbert spaces and identify a large class of time-averaged observables. We pay particular attention to the construction of the decoherence functional (the object that encodes probability information) in the continuous-time limit and its relation to the temporal structure of the theory. Phase space observables are introduced, through the study of general representations of the history group, which is the analog of the canonical group in the formalism. We can also define a closed-time-path (CTP) generating functional for each observable, which encodes the information of its correlation functions. The phase space version of the CTP generating functional leads to the implementation of Wigner–Weyl transforms, that gives a description of quantum theory solely in terms of phase space histories. These results allow the identification of an algorithm for going to the classical (stochastic) limit for a generic quantum system.

arXiv:quant-ph/0008052•Journal of Mathematical Physics•Aug 1, 2001•21 citations

Continuous Time and Consistent Histories

Isham, C J, Linden, N, Savvidou, K N +1 more

We discuss the use of histories labelled by a continuous time in the approach to consistent-histories quantum theory in which propositions about the history of the system are represented by projection operators on a Hilbert space. This extends earlier work by two of us \\cite{IL95} where we showed how a continuous time parameter leads to a history algebra that is isomorphic to the canonical algebra of a quantum field theory. We describe how the appropriate representation of the history algebra may be chosen by requiring the existence of projection operators that represent propositions about time average of the energy. We also show that the history description of quantum mechanics contains an operator corresponding to velocity that is quite distinct from the momentum operator. Finally, the discussion is extended to give a preliminary account of quantum field theory in this approach to the consistent histories formalism.

•Nov 18, 1997•75 citations

Continuous time and consistent histories

C. J. Isham, N. Linden, K. Savvidou +1 more

We discuss the use of histories labelled by a continuous time in the approach to consistent-histories quantum theory in which propositions about the history of the system are represented by projection operators on a Hilbert space. This extends earlier work by two of us [C. J. Isham and N. Linden, J. Math. Phys. 36, 5392–5408 (1995)] where we showed how a continuous time parameter leads to a history algebra that is isomorphic to the canonical algebra of a quantum field theory. We describe how the appropriate representation of the history algebra may be chosen by requiring the existence of projection operators that represent propositions about the time average of the energy. We also show that the history description of quantum mechanics contains an operator corresponding to velocity that is quite distinct from the momentum operator. Finally, the discussion is extended to give a preliminary account of quantum field theory in this approach to the consistent histories formalism.

arXiv:quant-ph/9711031•Journal of Mathematical Physics•Apr 1, 1998•66 citations
We define the action operator for the consistent histories formalism, as the quantum analog of the classical action functional, for the simple harmonic oscillator case. We conclude that the action operator is the generator of time transformations, and is associated with the two types of time evolution of the standard quantum theory: the wave-packet reduction and the unitary time evolution. We construct the corresponding classical histories and demonstrate the relevance with the quantum histories. Finally, we show the relation of the action operator to the decoherence functional.
We define the action operator for the consistent histories formalism, as the quantum analogue of the classical action functional, for the simple harmonic oscillator case. We conclude that the action operator is the generator of time transformations, and is associated with the two types of time-evolution of the standard quantum theory: the wave-packet reduction and the unitary time-evolution. We construct the corresponding classical histories and demonstrate the relevance with the quantum histories. Finally, we show the relation of the action operator to the decoherence functional. 1
We discuss the case of histories labelled by a continuous time parameter in the {\em History Projection Operator} consistent-histories quantum theory. We describe how the appropriate representation of the history algebra may be chosen by requiring the existence of projection operators that represent propositions about time averages of the energy. We define the action operator for the consistent histories formalism, as the quantum analogue of the classical action functional, for the simple harmonic oscillator case. We show that the action operator is the generator of two types of time transformations that may be related to the two laws of time-evolution of the standard quantum theory: the `state-vector reduction' and the unitary time-evolution. We construct the corresponding classical histories and demonstrate the relevance with the quantum histories; we demonstrate how the requirement of the temporal logic structure of the theory is sufficient for the definition of classical histories. Furthermore, we show the relation of the action operator to the decoherence functional which describes the dynamics of the system. Finally, the discussion is extended to give a preliminary account of quantum field theory in this approach to the consistent histories formalism.
We consider two technical developments of the formalism of continuous-time histories. First, we provide an explicit description of histories of the simple harmonic oscillator on the classical history phase space, comparing and contrasting the Q, P, and Wigner representations; we conclude that a representation based on coherent states is the most appropriate. Second, we demonstrate a generic method for implementing a perturbative approach for interacting theories in the history formalism, using the quartic anharmonic oscillator. We make use of the identification of the closed-time-path generating functional with the decoherence functional to develop a perturbative expansion for the latter up to second order in the coupling constant. We consider both configuration space and phase space histories.
The continuous-time histories program stems from the consistent histories approach to quantum theory and aims to provide a fully covariant formalism for quantum mechanics. In this paper we examine some structural points of the formalism. We demonstrate a general construction of history Hilbert spaces and identify a large class of time-averaged observables. We pay particular attention to the construction of the decoherence functional (the object that encodes probability information) in the continuous-time limit and its relation to the temporal structure of the theory. Phase space observables are introduced, through the study of general representations of the history group, which is the analog of the canonical group in the formalism. We can also define a closed-time-path (CTP) generating functional for each observable, which encodes the information of its correlation functions. The phase space version of the CTP generating functional leads to the implementation of Wigner–Weyl transforms, that gives a description of quantum theory solely in terms of phase space histories. These results allow the identification of an algorithm for going to the classical (stochastic) limit for a generic quantum system.
We discuss the use of histories labelled by a continuous time in the approach to consistent-histories quantum theory in which propositions about the history of the system are represented by projection operators on a Hilbert space. This extends earlier work by two of us \\cite{IL95} where we showed how a continuous time parameter leads to a history algebra that is isomorphic to the canonical algebra of a quantum field theory. We describe how the appropriate representation of the history algebra may be chosen by requiring the existence of projection operators that represent propositions about time average of the energy. We also show that the history description of quantum mechanics contains an operator corresponding to velocity that is quite distinct from the momentum operator. Finally, the discussion is extended to give a preliminary account of quantum field theory in this approach to the consistent histories formalism.
We discuss the use of histories labelled by a continuous time in the approach to consistent-histories quantum theory in which propositions about the history of the system are represented by projection operators on a Hilbert space. This extends earlier work by two of us [C. J. Isham and N. Linden, J. Math. Phys. 36, 5392–5408 (1995)] where we showed how a continuous time parameter leads to a history algebra that is isomorphic to the canonical algebra of a quantum field theory. We describe how the appropriate representation of the history algebra may be chosen by requiring the existence of projection operators that represent propositions about the time average of the energy. We also show that the history description of quantum mechanics contains an operator corresponding to velocity that is quite distinct from the momentum operator. Finally, the discussion is extended to give a preliminary account of quantum field theory in this approach to the consistent histories formalism.