arXiv:math-ph/0012017 · Journal of Physics A Mathematical and General
A rigorous real-time Feynman path integral and propagator
Ken Loo
Abstract
We will derive a rigorous real-time propagator for the non-relativistic quantum mechanical L 2 transition probability amplitude and for the non-relativistic wavefunction. The propagator will be given explicitly in terms of the time evolution operator. The derivation will be for all self-adjoint non-vector potential Hamiltonians. For systems with potentials that carry at most a finite number of singularity and discontinuities, we will show that our propagator can be written in the form of a rigorous real-time, time-sliced Feynman path integral via improper Riemann integrals. We will also derive the Feynman path integral in a non-standard analysis formulation. Finally, we will compute the propagator for the harmonic oscillator using the non-standard analysis Feynman path-integral formulation; we will compute the propagator without using any knowledge of the classical properties of the harmonic oscillator.