Schwinger's Quantum Action Principle

From Dirac’s Formulation Through Feynman’s Path Integrals, the Schwinger-Keldysh Method, Quantum Field Theory, to Source Theory

Kimball A. Milton (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

VIII, 116 Seiten

2015 | 2015
Springer International Publishing (Verlag)
978-3-319-20127-6 (ISBN)

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Starting from the earlier notions of stationary action principles, these tutorial notes shows how Schwinger's Quantum Action Principle descended from Dirac's formulation, which independently led Feynman to his path-integral formulation of quantum mechanics. Part I brings out in more detail the connection between the two formulations, and applications are discussed. Then, the Keldysh-Schwinger time-cycle method of extracting matrix elements is described. Part II will discuss the variational formulation of quantum electrodynamics and the development of source theory.

Professor Kimball Milton is the George Lynn Cross Research Professor of Physics at the University of Oklahoma. Kim Milton, a student of Julian Schwinger, studies in particular vacuum energy phenomena (the Casimir effect) in contexts ranging from cosmological through hadronic to condensed matter systems. He is the author, together with J Mehra of "Climbing the Mountain: The Scientific Biography of Julian Schwinger" Oxford University Press, 2000.

Historical introduction.- Review of classical action principles.- Classical field theory - electrodynamics.- Quantum Action Principle.- Time-cycle or Schwinger-keldysh Formulation.- Relativistic Theory of Fields.- Nonrelativistic Source theory.- Concluding remarks.

"The main goal of this short book is to examine quantum action principles and, in particular, the Schwinger action principle. ... For anyone who is interested in a good but brief introduction to the subject, this monograph should be considered." (Paul F. Bracken, Mathematical Reviews, April, 2016)

Erscheint lt. Verlag	25.6.2015
Reihe/Serie	SpringerBriefs in Physics
Zusatzinfo	VIII, 116 p. 19 illus., 11 illus. in color.
Verlagsort	Cham
Sprache	englisch
Maße	155 x 235 mm
Themenwelt	Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Quantenphysik
Themenwelt	Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Theoretische Physik
Schlagworte	Julian Schwinger • Principle of Least Action in Quantum Mechanics • Quantum Action Principle • Schwinger-Keldysh Formulation • Source Theory • Variational Formulation of Quantum Mechanics
ISBN-10	3-319-20127-1 / 3319201271
ISBN-13	978-3-319-20127-6 / 9783319201276
Zustand	Neuware