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arXiv:hep-th/9806228

Projective Statistics and Spinors in Hilbert Space

Frank A. Wilczek

Published Jun 29, 1998• 12 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

In quantum mechanics, symmetry groups can be realized by projective, as well as by ordinary unitary, representations. For the permutation symmetry relevant to quantum statistics of N indistinguishable particles, the simplest properly projective representation is highly non-trivial, of dimension $2^{(N-1)/2}$, and is most easily realized starting with spinor geometry. Quasiparticles in the Pfaffian quantum Hall state realize this representation. Projective statistics is a consistent theoretical possibility in any dimension.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.hep-th/9806228

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In quantum mechanics, symmetry groups can be realized by projective, as well as by ordinary unitary, representations. For the permutation symmetry relevant to quantum statistics of N indistinguishable particles, the simplest properly projective representation is highly non-trivial, of dimension 2(N−1)/22^{(N-1)/2}2(N−1)/2, and is most easily realized starting with spinor geometry. Quasiparticles in the Pfaffian quantum Hall state realize this representation. Projective statistics is a consistent theoretical possibility in any dimension.
Recent papers by Finkelstein, Galiautdinov, and co-workers [J. Math. Phys. 42, 1489 (2001); 42, 3299 (2001)] discuss a suggestion by Wilczek that non-Abelian projective representations of the permutation group can be used as a new type of particle statistics, valid in any dimension. Wilczek’s suggestion was based in part on an analysis by Nayak and Wilczek (NW) of the non-Abelian representation of the braid group in a quantum Hall system. We point out that projective permutation statistics is not possible in a local quantum field theory as it violates locality, and show that the NW braid group representation is not equivalent to a projective representation of the permutation group. The structure of the finite image of the braid group in a 2n/2−1-dimensional representation is obtained.
A version of quantum theory is derived from a set of plausible assumptions related to the following general setting: For a given system there is a set of experiments that can be performed, and for each such experiment an ordinary statistical model is defined. The parameters of the single experiments are functions of a hyperparameter, which defines the state of the system. There is a symmetry group acting on the hyperparameters, and for the induced action on the parameters of the single experiment a simple consistency property is assumed, called permissibility of the parametric function. The other assumptions needed are rather weak. The derivation relies partly on quantum logic, partly on a group representation of the hyperparameter group, where the invariant spaces are shown to be in 1-1 correspondence with the equivalence classes of permissible parametric functions. Planck's constant only plays a role connected to generators of unitary group representations.
Symmetry-adapted bases in quantum chemistry and bases adapted to quantum information share a common characteristics: both of them are constructed from subspaces of the representation space of the group SO(3) or its double group (i.e., spinor group) SU(2). We exploit this fact for generating spin bases of relevance for quantum systems with cyclic symmetry and equally well for quantum information and quantum computation. Our approach is based on the use of generalized Pauli matrices arising from a polar decomposition of SU(2). This approach leads to a complete solution for the construction of mutually unbiased bases in the case where the dimension d of the considered Hilbert subspace is a prime number. We also give the starting point for studying the case where d is the power of a prime number. A connection of this work to the unitary group U(d) and the Pauli group is briefly underlined.
Symmetry in quantum mechanicsRoughly speaking, a symmetry of some mathematical object is an invertible transformation that leaves all relevant structure as it is.Thus a symmetry of a set is just a bijection (as sets have no further structure, whence invertibility is the only demand on a symmetry), a symmetry of a topological space is a homeomorphism, a symmetry of a Banach space is a linear isometric isomorphism, and, crucially important for this chapter, a symmetry of a Hilbert space H is a unitary operator, i.e., a linear map u : H → H satisfying one and hence all of the following equivalent conditions:• u is invertible and preserves the inner product, i.e., uϕ, uψ = ϕ, ψ (ϕ, ψ ∈ H).The discussion of symmetries in quantum physics is based on the above idea, but the mathematically obvious choices need not be the physically relevant ones.Even in elementary quantum mechanics, where A = B(H), i.e., the C*-algebra of all bounded operators on some Hilbert space H, the concept of a symmetry is already diverse.The main structures whose symmetries we shall study in this chapter are:1.The normal pure state space P 1 (H), i.e., the set of one-dimensional projections on H, with transition probability τ : P 1 (H) × P 1 (H) → [0, 1] defined by (2.44).2. The normal state space D(H), i.e. the convex set of density operators ρ on H. The self-adjoint operators B(H)sa on H, seen as a Jordan algebra (see below).4. The effects E (H) = [0, 1] B(H) , seen as a convex partially ordered set (poset). 5.The projections P(H) on H, seen as an orthocomplemented lattice.6.The unital commutative C*-subalgebras C (B(H)) of B(H), seen as a poset.Each of these structures comes with its own notion of a symmetry, but the main point of this chapter will be to show these notions are equivalent, corresponding in all cases to either unitary or-surprisingly-anti-unitary operators, both merely defined up to a phase.The latter subtlety will open the world of projective unitary group representation to quantum mechanics (without which the existence of spin-1 2 particles such as electrons, and therewith also of ourselves, would be impossible).
This paper aims at explaining that the key to understanding quantum mechanics (QM) is a perfect geometrical understanding of the spinor algebra that is used in its formulation. Spinors occur naturally in the representation theory of certain symmetry groups. The spinors that are relevant for QM are those of the homogeneous Lorentz group SO(3,1) in Minkowski space-time R 4 and its subgroup SO(3) of the rotations of three-dimensional Euclidean space R 3. In the three-dimensional rotation group the spinors occur within its representation SU(2). We will provide the reader with a perfect intuitive insight about what is going on behind the scenes of the spinor algebra. We will then use the understanding acquired to derive the free-space Dirac equation from scratch proving that it is a description of a statistical ensemble of spinning electrons in uniform motion, completely in the spirit of Ballentine's statistical interpretation of QM. This is a mathematically rigorous proof. Developing this further we allow for the presence of an electromagnetic field. We can consider the result as a reconstruction of QM based on the geometrical understanding of the spinor algebra. By discussing a number of problems in the interpretation of the conventional approach, we illustrate how this new approach leads to a better understanding of QM.
Quantum symmetries that leave invariant physical transition probabilities are described by projective representations of Lie groups. The mathematical theory of projected representations for topologically connected Lie groups is reviewed and applied to the inhomogeneous symplectic group ISp(2n). The projective representations are given in terms of the ordinary unitary representations of the central extension of the group with respect to its first homotopy group direct product with its second cohomology group. The second cohomology group of ISp(2n) is the one dimensional abelian group and the central extension turns the 2n dimension abelian normal subgroup of translations of ISp(2n) into the Weyl-Heisenberg group. This is the quantum symmetry origin of the Heisenberg commutation relations that are the Hermitian representation of the Lie algebra of the Weyl-Heisenberg group.