© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

Terms Privacy Legal Notice

arXiv:hep-th/0501094 · International Journal of Geometric Methods in Modern Physics

THE QUANTUM-CLASSICAL TRANSITION: THE FATE OF THE COMPLEX STRUCTURE

Giuseppe Marmo, G. Scolarici, Alberto Simoni, F. Ventriglia

Published Feb 1, 2005• 18 citations

Abstract

According to Dirac, fundamental laws of Classical Mechanics should be recovered by means of an "appropriate limit" of Quantum Mechanics. In the same spirit it is reasonable to enquire about the fundamental geometric structures of Classical Mechanics which will survive the appropriate limit of Quantum Mechanics. This is the case for the symplectic structure. On the contrary, such geometric structures as the metric tensor and the complex structure, which are necessary for the formulation of the Quantum theory, may not survive the Classical limit, being not relevant in the Classical theory. Here we discuss the Classical limit of those geometric structures mainly in the Ehrenfest and Heisenberg pictures, i.e. at the level of observables rather than at the level of states. A brief discussion of the fate of the complex structure in the Quantum-Classical transition in the Schrödinger picture is also mentioned.

DOI: 10.1142/s0219887805000508

Related papers

Geometric formulation of quantum mechanics

Hoshang Heydari

Quantum mechanics is among the most important and successful mathematical model for describing our physical reality. The traditional formulation of quantum mechanics is linear and algebraic. In contrast classical mechanics is a geometrical and non-linear theory that is defined on a symplectic manifold. However, after invention of general relativity, we are convinced that geometry is physical and effect us in all scale. Hence the geometric formulation of quantum mechanics sought to give a unified picture of physical systems based on its underling geometrical structures, e.g., now, the states are represented by points of a symplectic manifold with a compatible Riemannian metric, the observables are real-valued functions on the manifold, and the quantum evolution is governed by a symplectic flow that is generated by a Hamiltonian function. In this work we will give a compact introduction to main ideas of geometric formulation of quantum mechanics. We will provide the reader with the details of geometrical structures of both pure and mixed quantum states. We will also discuss and review some important applications of geometric quantum mechanics.

arXiv:1503.00238•Mar 1, 2015•16 citations

CLASSICAL BEHAVIOR IN QUANTUM MECHANICS: A TRANSITION PROBABILITY APPROACH

Nicolaas P. Landsman

A formalism is developed for describing approximate classical behavior in finite (but possibly large) quantum systems. This is done in terms of a structure common to classical and quantum mechanics, viz. a Poisson space with a transition probability. Both the limit where ħ→0 in a fixed finite system and the limit where the size of the system goes to infinity are incorporated. In either case, classical behavior is seen only for certain observables and in a restricted class of states.

arXiv:quant-ph/9511001•International Journal of Modern Physics B•Jun 30, 1996•12 citations

Geometrization of quantum mechanics. [Instantapeous pure states, origin of complex structure, states near vacuum]

T. W. B. Kibble

Quantum mechanics is cast into a classical Hamiltonian form in terms of a symplectic structure, not on the Hilbert space of state-vectors but on the more physically relevant infinite-dimensional manifold of instantaneous pure states. This geometrical structure can accommodate generalizations of quantum mechanics, including the nonlinear relativistic models recently proposed. It is shown that any such generalization satisfying a few physically reasonable conditions would reduce to ordinary quantum mechanics for states that are 'near' the vacuum. In particular the origin of complex structure is described.

•Jan 1, 1979•0 citations

Duality, Quantum Mechanics and (Almost) Complex Manifolds

J. M. Isidro

The classical mechanics of a finite number of degrees of freedom requires a symplectic structure on phase space [Formula: see text], but it is independent of any complex structure. On the contrary, the quantum theory is intimately linked with the choice of a complex structure on [Formula: see text]. When the latter is a complex-analytic manifold admitting just one complex structure, there is a unique quantization whose classical limit is [Formula: see text]. Then the notion of coherence is the same for all observers. However, when [Formula: see text] admits two or more nonbiholomorphic complex structures, there is one different quantization per different complex structure on [Formula: see text]. The lack of analyticity in transforming between nonbiholomorphic complex structures can be interpreted as the loss of quantum-mechanical coherence under the corresponding transformation. Observers using one complex structure perceive as coherent the states that other observers, using a different complex structure, do not perceive as such. This is the notion of a quantum-mechanical duality transformation: the relativity of the notion of a quantum.

arXiv:quant-ph/0304143•Modern Physics Letters A•Sep 3, 2003•8 citations

Background Independent Quantum Mechanics, Classical Geometric Forms and Geometric Quantum Mechanics-I

Aalok Pandya

The geometry of the symplectic structures and Fubini-Study metric is discussed. Discussion in the paper addresses geometry of Quantum Mechanics in the classical phase space. Also, geometry of Quantum Mechanics in the projective Hilbert space has been discussed for the chosen Quantum states. Since the theory of classical gravity is basically geometric in nature and Quantum Mechanics is in no way devoid of geometry, the explorations pertaining to more and more geometry in Quantum Mechanics could prove to be valuable for larger objectives such as understanding of gravity.

arXiv:0809.1351•Sep 8, 2008•0 citations

Geometry of Quantum Evolution

Dariusz Chruściński, Andrzej Jamiołkowski

Usually one uses completely different mathematical descriptions to formulate classical and quantum mechanics. Classical theory may be nicely formulated in terms of symplectic geometry, and the quantum one in terms of algebraic objects related to a complex Hilbert space. However, it turns out that standard, nonrelativistic quantum mechanics possesses natural geometric structure that is even richer than that found in classical mechanics. This section reveals the beauty of the geometric approach to quantum theory and stands as a basis for the elegant geometrical ideas of Pancharatnam and, later on, of Aharonov and Anandan. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Birkhäuser Boston eBooks•Jan 1, 2004•2 citations

According to Dirac, fundamental laws of Classical Mechanics should be recovered by means of an "appropriate limit" of Quantum Mechanics. In the same spirit it is reasonable to enquire about the fundamental geometric structures of Classical Mechanics which will survive the appropriate limit of Quantum Mechanics. This is the case for the symplectic structure. On the contrary, such geometric structures as the metric tensor and the complex structure, which are necessary for the formulation of the Quantum theory, may not survive the Classical limit, being not relevant in the Classical theory. Here we discuss the Classical limit of those geometric structures mainly in the Ehrenfest and Heisenberg pictures, i.e. at the level of observables rather than at the level of states. A brief discussion of the fate of the complex structure in the Quantum-Classical transition in the Schrödinger picture is also mentioned.

Quantum mechanics is among the most important and successful mathematical model for describing our physical reality. The traditional formulation of quantum mechanics is linear and algebraic. In contrast classical mechanics is a geometrical and non-linear theory that is defined on a symplectic manifold. However, after invention of general relativity, we are convinced that geometry is physical and effect us in all scale. Hence the geometric formulation of quantum mechanics sought to give a unified picture of physical systems based on its underling geometrical structures, e.g., now, the states are represented by points of a symplectic manifold with a compatible Riemannian metric, the observables are real-valued functions on the manifold, and the quantum evolution is governed by a symplectic flow that is generated by a Hamiltonian function. In this work we will give a compact introduction to main ideas of geometric formulation of quantum mechanics. We will provide the reader with the details of geometrical structures of both pure and mixed quantum states. We will also discuss and review some important applications of geometric quantum mechanics.

Quantum mechanics is cast into a classical Hamiltonian form in terms of a symplectic structure, not on the Hilbert space of state-vectors but on the more physically relevant infinite-dimensional manifold of instantaneous pure states. This geometrical structure can accommodate generalizations of quantum mechanics, including the nonlinear relativistic models recently proposed. It is shown that any such generalization satisfying a few physically reasonable conditions would reduce to ordinary quantum mechanics for states that are 'near' the vacuum. In particular the origin of complex structure is described.

The classical mechanics of a finite number of degrees of freedom requires a symplectic structure on phase space [Formula: see text], but it is independent of any complex structure. On the contrary, the quantum theory is intimately linked with the choice of a complex structure on [Formula: see text]. When the latter is a complex-analytic manifold admitting just one complex structure, there is a unique quantization whose classical limit is [Formula: see text]. Then the notion of coherence is the same for all observers. However, when [Formula: see text] admits two or more nonbiholomorphic complex structures, there is one different quantization per different complex structure on [Formula: see text]. The lack of analyticity in transforming between nonbiholomorphic complex structures can be interpreted as the loss of quantum-mechanical coherence under the corresponding transformation. Observers using one complex structure perceive as coherent the states that other observers, using a different complex structure, do not perceive as such. This is the notion of a quantum-mechanical duality transformation: the relativity of the notion of a quantum.

The geometry of the symplectic structures and Fubini-Study metric is discussed. Discussion in the paper addresses geometry of Quantum Mechanics in the classical phase space. Also, geometry of Quantum Mechanics in the projective Hilbert space has been discussed for the chosen Quantum states. Since the theory of classical gravity is basically geometric in nature and Quantum Mechanics is in no way devoid of geometry, the explorations pertaining to more and more geometry in Quantum Mechanics could prove to be valuable for larger objectives such as understanding of gravity.

Usually one uses completely different mathematical descriptions to formulate classical and quantum mechanics. Classical theory may be nicely formulated in terms of symplectic geometry, and the quantum one in terms of algebraic objects related to a complex Hilbert space. However, it turns out that standard, nonrelativistic quantum mechanics possesses natural geometric structure that is even richer than that found in classical mechanics. This section reveals the beauty of the geometric approach to quantum theory and stands as a basis for the elegant geometrical ideas of Pancharatnam and, later on, of Aharonov and Anandan. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.