Intermediate Spectral Theory And Quantum Dynamics

The spectral theory of linear operators plays a key role in the mathematical formulation of quantum theory. This textbook provides a concise and comprehensible introduction to the spectral theory of (unbounded) self-adjoint operators and its application in quantum dynamics. Many examples and exercises are included that focus on quantum mechanics.

In this monograph we apply scattering theory methods to calculations in quantum ?eld theory, with a particular focus on properties of the quantum vacuum. These methods will provide e?cient and reliable solutions to a - riety of problems in quantum ?eld theory. Our approach will also elucidate in a concrete context many of the subtleties of quantum ?eld theory, such as divergences, regularization, and renormalization, by connecting them to more familiar results in quantum mechanics. We will use tools of scattering theory to characterize the spectrum of energyeigenstatesinapotentialbackground,hencethetermspectralmethods. This mode spectrum comprises both discrete bound states and a continuum of scattering states. We develop a powerful formalism that parameterizes the e?ects of the continuum by the density of states, which we compute from scattering data. Summing the zero-point energies of these modes gives the energy of the quantum vacuum, which is one of the central quantities we study.Althoughthemostcommonlystudiedbackgroundpotentialsarisefrom static soliton solutions to the classical equations of motion, these methods are not limited to such cases.

This book offers a rigorous yet elementary approach to quantum mechanics that will meet the needs of Master’s-level Mathematics students and is equally suitable for Physics students who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the mathematical structure of the theory. Throughout the coverage, which is limited to single-particle quantum mechanics, the focus is on formulating theory and developing applications in a mathematically precise manner. Following a review of selected key concepts in classical physics and the historical background, the basic elements of the theory of operators in Hilbert spaces are presented and used to formulate the rules of quantum mechanics. The discussion then turns to free particles, harmonic oscillators, delta potential, and hydrogen atoms, providing rigorous proofs of the corresponding dynamical properties. Starting from an analysis of these applications, readers are subsequently introduced to more advanced topics such as the classical limit, scattering theory, and spectral analysis of Schrödinger operators. The main content is complemented by numerous exercises that stimulate interactive learning and help readers check their progress.

This proceedings volume contains peer-reviewed, selected papers and surveys presented at the conference Spectral Theory and Mathematical Physics (STMP) 2018 which was held in Santiago, Chile, at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in December 2018. The original works gathered in this volume reveal the state of the art in the area and reflect the intense cooperation between young researchers in spectral theoryand mathematical physics and established specialists in this field. The list of topics covered includes: eigenvalues and resonances for quantum Hamiltonians; spectral shift function and quantum scattering; spectral properties of random operators; magnetic quantum Hamiltonians; microlocal analysis and its applications in mathematical physics. This volume can be of interest both to senior researchers and graduate students pursuing new research topics in Mathematical Physics.

This volume contains surveys as well as research articles broadly centered on spectral analysis. Topics range from spectral continuity for magnetic and pseudodifferential operators to localization in random media, from the stability of matter to properties of Aharonov-Bohm and Quantum Hall Hamiltonians, from waveguides and resonances to supersymmetric models and dissipative fermion systems. This is the first of a series of volumes reporting every two years on recent progress in spectral theory.​

The book gives a streamlined introduction to quantum mechanics while describing the basic mathematical structures underpinning this discipline. Starting with an overview of key physical experiments illustrating the origin of the physical foundations, the book proceeds with a description of the basic notions of quantum mechanics and their mathematical content. It then makes its way to topics of current interest, specifically those in which mathematics plays an important role. The more advanced topics presented include many-body systems, modern perturbation theory, path integrals, the theory of resonances, quantum statistics, mean-field theory, second quantization, the theory of radiation (non-relativistic quantum electrodynamics), and the renormalization group. With different selections of chapters, the book can serve as a text for an introductory, intermediate, or advanced course in quantum mechanics. The last four chapters could also serve as an introductory course in quantum field theory.

Graduate students in both theoretical and experimental physics will find this third edition of Intermediate Quantum Mechanics , refined and updated in 1986, indispensable. The first part of the book deals with the theory of atomic structure, while the second and third parts deal with the relativistic wave equations and introduction to field theory, making Intermediate Quantum Mechanics more complete than any other single-volume work on the subject.