Decomposition of Time-Ordered Products and Path-Ordered Exponentials

The Dyson series is an infinite sum of multi-dimensional time-ordered integrals, which serves as a formal representation of the quantum time evolution operator in the interaction picture. Using the mathematical tool of divided differences, we introduce an alternative representation for the series that is entirely free from both time ordering and integrals. In this new formalism, the Dyson expansion is given as a sum of efficiently-computable divided differences of the exponen...

In this and subsequent paper arXiv:1011.5185 we develop a recursive approach for calculating the short-time expansion of the propagator for a general quantum system in a time-dependent potential to orders that have not yet been accessible before. To this end the propagator is expressed in terms of a discretized effective potential, for which we derive and analytically solve a set of efficient recursion relations. Such a discretized effective potential can be used to substanti...

We consider expressions of the form of an exponential of the sum of two non-commuting operators of a single variable inside a path integration. We show that it is possible to shift one of the non-commuting operators from the exponential to other functions which are pre-factors and post-factors when the domain of integration of the argument of that function is from -\infty to +\infty. This shift theorem is useful to perform certain integrals and path integrals involving the ex...

An exact general formula for the matrix elements of the evolution operator in quantum theory is established. The formul ("ABC-formula") has the form <U(t)>=exp(At+B+C(t)). The constants A and B and the decreasing function C(t) are computed in perturbation theory. The ABC-formula is valid for a general class of Hamiltonians used in statistical physics and quantum field theory. The formula includes the higher order corrections to the well known Weisskopf-Wigner approximation an...

In this paper we address the relation between the star exponentials emerging within the Deformation Quantization formalism and Feynman's path integrals associated with propagators in quantum dynamics. In order to obtain such a relation, we start by visualizing the quantum propagator as an integral transform of the star exponential by means of the symbol corresponding to the time evolution operator and, thus, we introduce Feynman's path integral representation of the propagato...

The widely accepted approach to the foundation of quantum mechanics is that the Poisson bracket, governing the non-commutative algebra of operators, is taken as a postulate with no underlying physics. In this manuscript, it is shown that this postulation is in fact unnecessary and may be replaced by a few deeper concepts, which ultimately lead to the derivation of Poisson bracket. One would only need to use Fourier transform pairs and Kramers-Kronig identities in the complex ...

The Cayley-Hamilton problem of expressing functions of matrices in terms of only their eigenvalues is well-known to simplify to finding the inverse of the confluent Vandermonde matrix. Here, we give a highly compact formula for the inverse of any matrix, and apply it to the confluent Vandermonde matrix, achieving in a single equation what has only been achieved by long iterative algorithms until now. As a prime application, we use this result to get a simple formula for expli...

The problem of exponentiating derivations of quasi *-algebras is considered in view of applying it to the determination of the time evolution of a physical system. The particular case where observables constitute a proper CQ*-algebra is analyzed.

We propose a high order numerical decomposition of exponentials of hermitean operators in terms of a product of exponentials of simple terms, following an idea which has been pioneered by M. Suzuki, however implementing it for complex coefficients. We outline a convenient fourth order formula which can be written compactly for arbitrary number of noncommuting terms in the Hamiltonian and which is superiour to the optimal formula with real coefficients, both in complexity and ...

In this short paper, the commutator of monomials of operators obeying constant commutation relations is expressed in terms of anticommutators. The formula involves Bernoulli numbers or Euler polynomials evaluated in zero. The role of Bernoulli numbers in quantum-mechanical identities such as the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula is emphasized and applications connected to ordering problems as well as to Ehrenfest theorem are proposed.