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arXiv:hep-th/0410147

The basic physical Lie operations

Heinrich Saller

Published Oct 13, 2004• 6 citations

Abstract

Quantum theory can be formulated as a theory of operations, more specific, of complex represented operations from real Lie groups. Hilbert space eigenvectors of acting Lie operations are used as states or particles. The simplest simple Lie groups have three dimensions. These groups together with their contractions and subgroups contain - in the simplest form - all physically important operations which come as translations for causal time, for space and for spacetime, as rotations, Lorentz transformations and as Euclidean and Poincare transformations with scattering and particle states and also - via the Heisenberg groups - as the operational structure of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics. The classification of all those groups and their contractions is given together with their Hilbert spaces, constituted by energy-momentum functions. The groups representation matrix elements can be written as residues of energy-momentum poles - simple poles for abelian translations, e.g. in Feynman propagators, and dipoles for simple Lie group operations, e.g. in the Schroedinger wave functions for the nonrelativistic hydrogen atom.

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.hep-th/0410147

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Quantum theory can be formulated as a theory of operations, more specific, of complex represented operations from real Lie groups. Hilbert space eigenvectors of acting Lie operations are used as states or particles. The simplest simple Lie groups have three dimensions. These groups together with their contractions and subgroups contain - in the simplest form - all physically important operations which come as translations for causal time, for space and for spacetime, as rotations, Lorentz transformations and as Euclidean and Poincare transformations with scattering and particle states and also - via the Heisenberg groups - as the operational structure of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics. The classification of all those groups and their contractions is given together with their Hilbert spaces, constituted by energy-momentum functions. The groups representation matrix elements can be written as residues of energy-momentum poles - simple poles for abelian translations, e.g. in Feynman propagators, and dipoles for simple Lie group operations, e.g. in the Schroedinger wave functions for the nonrelativistic hydrogen atom.

This chapter provides a simple general introduction to some basic mathematics necessary for a subsequent discussion of Lie algebras, operator methods, and their applications to theoretical physics and chemistry. It also provides some useful mathematical tools to derive important theoretical results and expressions in a simple and elegant way. In quantum mechanics the state of a system is represented by an element of a particular vector space, in which one defines an appropriate scalar or inner product, known in mathematics as Hilbert space. Hermitian operators with a complete set of eigenvectors belonging to that state space represent physical observables. Moreover, in certain cases it proves useful to work with vector spaces formed by linear operators. Hermitian operators are particular cases of linear operators and physical observables are particular cases of Hermitian operators. In many physical applications of operator methods one needs to reorder products of exponential operators or to rewrite one such operator as a product of simpler ones.

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.

The Postulates and Principles of Quantum Mechanics Commutability and Compatibility of Quantum Observables Non-Commuting Operators and Uncertainty Principle Quantum Dynamics and Schrodinger Equation Time Evolution Operator and Propagator Symmetry, Transformation and Continuous Groups Lie Groups and Lie Algebras O(3) Group, SU(2) Group and Angular Momentum Dynamical Symmetry and Hydrogen Atom Lorentz Group and Group Representation Chiral Transformation and Spinor Algebra Gamma Matrix Algebra and Discrete Symmetry in Dirac Spinor System.

The spin reduced matrix defined by taking partial trace with the momentum variable has been shown not to transform covariantly under Lorentz transformations. In this paper, I suggest another representation space of the Poincare group, the elements of which are in a sense apparent wave functions. In this new Hilbert space, the naive spin observable

\frac{1}{2}\boldsymbol{\tau}

from nonrelativistic quantum mechanics on the old Hilbert space is represented as the Newton-Wigner spin operator. Also on this space, one can naturally associate to each state a Lorentz covariant spin reduced density matrix, which is then given a new interpretation.

Abstract Mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics is closely connected with the theory of linear operators. A key quantum-mechanical principle is that physical quantities (observables) are represented by Hermitian linear operators that act on state vectors that belong to a Hilbert vector space. This chapter analyzes problems that deal with the basic concepts of the theory of linear operators; eigenfunctions, eigenvalues, mean values; the projection operators; quantum-mechanical representations of operators and wave-functions; and unitary operators.

Starting from square-integrable wave functions on a Lie group, we build an invertible Fourier transform mapping them on wave functions on the dual of the Lie algebra. This is a group-theoretic version of the map from position space to momentum space, with generally noncommuting momenta owing to the group structure. As a result, the multiplication of momentum-dependent functions involves star products, which makes the construction of noncommutative Fourier series much more involved than that of their commutative cousin. This is especially true when compact subgroups are present, in which case we carefully take into account quotients of the operator algebra, and the resulting normalization issues. We show that our formalism provides an isometry of Hilbert spaces, and use it to derive a noncommutative Poisson summation formula for any compact Lie group. This is a key preliminary for the computation of Wigner functions and path integrals for quantum systems on group manifolds.