dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaA physical basis for the phase in Feynman path integration
| Authors | G. N. Ord, J. A. Gualtieri, R. B. Mann |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0411005 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0411005 |
Abstract
In the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the phase factor Exp[iS(x[t])] is associated with every path x[t]. Summing this factor over all paths yields Feynman's propagator as a sum-over-paths. In the original formulation, the complex phase was a mathematical device invoked to extract wave behaviour in a particle framework. In this paper we show that the phase itself can have a physical origin in time reversal, and that the propagator can be drawn by a single deterministic path.
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"abstract": "In the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the phase factor\nExp[iS(x[t])] is associated with every path x[t]. Summing this factor over all\npaths yields Feynman\u0027s propagator as a sum-over-paths. In the original\nformulation, the complex phase was a mathematical device invoked to extract\nwave behaviour in a particle framework. In this paper we show that the phase\nitself can have a physical origin in time reversal, and that the propagator can\nbe drawn by a single deterministic path.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0411005",
"authors": [
"G. N. Ord",
"J. A. Gualtieri",
"R. B. Mann"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph"
],
"title": "A physical basis for the phase in Feynman path integration",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0411005"
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