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# Ground state and functional integral representations of the CCR algebra with free evolution

## 1 Introduction

Most of the wisdom on quantum field theory and more generally on quantum systems with infinite degrees of freedom relies on the existence of a vacuum or ground state, so that their formulation and control is obtained in terms of the ground state correlation functions. In particular the analytic continuation to imaginary time and the functional integral approach exploits this basic property . For a large class of models involving infrared singular canonical variables or fields the existence of a ground state is linked to non regular representations of such variables  if positivity is required, whereas regular, i.e. weakly continuous, representations are available if one allows indefinite metric .

The mathematical problems emerging in these cases, including the euclidean functional integral formulation, already show up if one ask for the simple case of the ground state representations of the Heisenberg algebra with free time evolution. In particular the model reproduces the basic properties of the temporal gauge in quantum electrodynamics , where the longitudinal variables $`div𝐀,div𝐄`$ correspond to a collection of free quantum mechanical canonical variables .

Thus the analysis of the ground state representations of the model is an essential step for the solution of mathematical problems and for the construction of functional integral representations of the temporal gauge; in particular the model also displays the occurrence of unusual features in the temporal gauge, including the conflict between time translation invariance, energy spectral condition, positivity and the regularity of the vacuum state . One also obtains non trivial information on the functional integral formulation of models with infrared singular variables, as in the temporal gauge. For these reasons, the analysis of the model has general implications on realistic quantum field theories and should not be dismissed on the basis of its trivial dynamics.

In Sect.2 we discuss the problem of ground state representations of the Heisenberg algebra, which correspond to the standard field quantization of the temporal gauge in terms of vacuum expectation of the canonical fields. Such representations are shown to violate positivity and share the basic features of the Tomita-Takesaki theory . The unique time translation and scale invariant state is in fact faithful on the Heisenberg algebra and a Tomita-Takesaki operator $`S`$ is defined by $`SA\mathrm{\Psi }_0=A^{}\mathrm{\Psi }_0`$. The corresponding GNS representation, with cyclic ground state vector $`\mathrm{\Psi }_0`$, is given by the tensor product of a Fock and anti-Fock representations  of the canonical variables $`Q_\pm (q\pm p^{})/\sqrt{2},P_\pm (\pm p+q^{})/\sqrt{2}`$, with $`q^{}JqJ^{},p^{}JpJ^{}`$, where $`J`$ is an antiunitary operator obtained from $`S`$ as in the Tomita-Takesaki theory. This implies that the non positive vacuum of the (standard) temporal gauge has properties similar to those of a KMS state.

The ground state positive representations of the Weyl algebra are non regular and satisfy the energy spectral condition. The euclidean version satisfies Osterwalder-Schrader positivity and the corresponding functional integral representation satisfies Markov property . Actually, the euclidean correlation functions can be expressed as expectations of the euclidean fields $`U(\alpha ,\tau )=e^{i\alpha x(\tau )}`$ with a functional measure which is the product of the conditional Wiener measure $`dW_{0,x}(y(\tau ))`$ on trajectories $`y(\tau )`$ starting at $`x`$ at time $`\tau =0`$, times the ergodic mean $`d\nu (x)`$, which defines a measure on the Gelfand spectrum of the Bohr algebra  generated by the $`U(\alpha ,\tau )`$. The Osterwalder-Schrader reconstruction theorem provides the (non regular) quantum mechanical representation, with a ground state, which is cyclic with respect to the euclidean algebra at time zero.

In Sect. 3 we analyze the euclidean correlation functions of the indefinite representation of the Heisenberg algebra. We show that the failure of the Ostervalder-Schrader positivity does not prevent an Osterwalder-Schrader reconstruction, yielding the (indefinite) quantum mechanical representation. Nelson positivity fails and we have an indefinite inner product space with a Krein structure very similar to that of the massless scalar field in two space time dimensions . A generalization of Nelson strategy  can be performed and projection operators $`E_\pm ,E_0`$ can be defined, yielding the same operator formulation of the Markov property as in the positive case.

A stochastic interpretation of the euclidean variables meets the problem of absence of Nelson positivity and of the non existence of invariant measures for the brownian motion. It is shown that a functional integral representation of the euclidean (indefinite) correlation functions $`<x(\tau _1)\mathrm{}x(\tau _n)>`$ exists in terms of a Brownian variable $`\xi (\tau )`$ and of complex variables $`z,\overline{z}`$

$$<x(\tau _1)\mathrm{}x(\tau _n)>=$$

$$𝑑W_{0,0}(\xi (\tau ))𝑑z𝑑\overline{z}e^{2|z|^2}(\xi (\tau _1)+z|\tau _1|\overline{z})\mathrm{}(\xi (\tau _n)+z|\tau _n|\overline{z}).$$

The above analysis provides a framework which can be applied e.g. to the massless scalar model in two space time dimensions to obtain a functional integral representation of its euclidean correlation functions.

## 2 Ground state representations of the Heisenberg algebra with free evolution

Our model is defined by the Heisenberg \*-algebra $`𝒜_H`$ generated by $`q,p`$ (for simplicity we consider the one dimensional case), invariant under the \*-operation (hermiticity) and satisfying the canonical commutation relations (CCR)

$$[q,p]=i.$$
(2.1)
invariant under the \*-operation $`q=q^{}`$, $`p=p^{}`$ The time evolution is defined by the following one parameter group of \*-automorphisms $`\alpha _t`$, $`t𝐑`$

$$\alpha _t(q)=q+ptq(t),\alpha _t(p)=p.$$
(2.2)
Motivated by Wightman formulation of quantum field theory, it is natural to ask whether there are time translationally invariant hermitean linear functionals $`\omega `$ on $`𝒜_H`$, $`\omega (\alpha _t(A))=\omega (A)`$, and to investigate the generalized GNS representations defined by them.

By eq. (2.2) the correlation functions $`\omega (A\alpha _t(B)C)`$, $`A,B,C,𝒜_H`$ are polynomials in $`t`$ and therefore time translation invariance of $`\omega `$ implies that their Fourier transform has support at the origin and therefore satisfy the energy spectral condition, which characterizes ground states.

###### Proposition 2.1

A hermitean linear functional $`\omega `$ on the Heisenberg algebra invariant under time translations, i.e. such that $`A𝒜_H`$, $`\omega (\alpha _t(A))=\omega (A)`$, is not positive, defines a GNS representation in an indefinite inner product space $`D=\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)\mathrm{\Psi }_\omega `$ and the two point functions have the following form

$$\omega (q^2)=c,\omega (p^2)=0,,\omega (qp)=\omega (pq)=i/2,$$
(2.3)
where $`c`$ is a constant.

If $`\omega `$ is Gaussian, i.e. its truncated correlation functions vanish, the GNS representation $`(D,\pi _\omega )`$ defined by it has a non trivial commutant $`\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)^{}`$.

Moreover, if $`\omega `$ is Gaussian and $`c=0`$, then $`\omega `$ is invariant under scale transformations

$$q\lambda q,p\lambda ^1p,\lambda 𝐑,$$

and such transformations are implemented by isometric operators in $`D`$.

Proof Since

$$\omega (p^2)=\omega (d\alpha _t(q)/dtp)=d/dt\omega (\alpha _t(qp))=0,$$

if positivity holds, $`|\omega ([q,p])|\omega (q^2)^{1/2}\omega (p^2)^{1/2}=0`$, in contrast with the CCR.

Equations (2.3) follow from the condition of time translation invariance of the two point function $`\omega (q(t)q(s))`$ and the CCR.

By a standard GNS construction $`\omega `$ provides a representation $`\pi _\omega `$ of the Heisenberg algebra on a vector space $`D=\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)\mathrm{\Psi }_\omega `$, with an indefinite non-degenerate inner product given by

$$<A\mathrm{\Psi }_\omega ,B\mathrm{\Psi }_\omega >=\omega (A^{}B).$$

If $`\omega `$ is Gaussian, the matrix elements of the operator $`U(t)`$ which implements the time translations on $`D`$ can be explicitly computed and the (weak) derivative $`dU(t)/dt`$ exists and defines a hermitean operator $`H`$ on $`D`$. Without loss of generality, we can redefine $`H`$ so that $`H\mathrm{\Psi }_\omega =0`$; henceforth $`\mathrm{\Psi }_\omega `$ will be denoted by $`\mathrm{\Psi }_0`$ . Now, the CCR imply

$$H=p^2/2+h,h\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)^{}$$
(2.4)
and, if $`\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)^{}=\{\lambda \mathrm{𝟏}\},\lambda 𝐂`$, the equations $`(\mathrm{\Psi }_0,H\mathrm{\Psi }_0)=0`$, $`\omega (p^2)=0`$ imply $`h=0`$. This leads to a contradiction

$$0=\omega (q^2H)=\omega (qp)^2=1/4.$$

The last statement follows from scale invariance of the correlation functions. $`\mathrm{}`$

The existence of a non-trivial commutant is reminiscent of the structure which characterizes the theory of KMS (non zero temperature) states and more generally the Tomita-Takesaki theory. The occurrence of such a structure in a ground state representation is a consequence of the fact that the functionals of Proposition 2.1 are faithful.

###### Proposition 2.2

The Gaussian functionals $`\omega `$ of Proposition 2.1 are faithful, i.e.,

$$\omega (BA)=0,B𝒜_H$$
(2.5)
implies $`A=0`$.

Furthermore the commutant $`\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)^{}`$ is given by

$$\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)^{}=S\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)S,$$
(2.6)
where $`S`$ is a Tomita-Takesaki antilinear operator defined by

$$SA\mathrm{\Psi }_0A^{}\mathrm{\Psi }_0,A\pi _\omega (𝒜_H),$$
(2.7)
with $`\mathrm{\Psi }_0`$ the vector which represents the state $`\omega `$.

Proof Any $`A𝒜_H`$ can be written in an unique way as an ordered polynomial $`A=_{k=0}^Nq^kP_k(p)`$, with $`P_k`$ a polynomial. Then, by time translation invariance of $`\omega `$, eq.(2.5) implies $`\omega (B\alpha _t(A))=0,t`$. Thus the term of highest power of $`t`$, $`\omega (Bp^NP_N(p))`$ vanishes $`B𝒜_H`$; in particular $`\omega (q^kp^NP_N(p))=0,k`$ which implies $`P_N(p)=0`$, by the gaussian property of $`\omega `$ and eqs.(2.3).

Since $`\omega `$ is faithful, eq.(2.7) defines the analogue of the Tomita-Takesaki antilinear operator $`S`$ on $`D`$. Clearly, $`S\mathrm{\Psi }_0=\mathrm{\Psi }_0`$ and $`S^2=1`$. As in the standard Tomita-Takesaki theory one has

$$SAS\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)^{},A\pi _\omega (𝒜_H).$$

Furthermore, since $`\mathrm{\Psi }_0`$ is cyclic for $`\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)`$ and therefore separating for $`\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)^{}`$, $`B\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)^{}`$, $`A\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)`$ such that $`B\mathrm{\Psi }_0=A^{}\mathrm{\Psi }_0`$ and therefore $`B=SAS`$; in conclusion

$$S\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)S=\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)^{}.$$
(2.8)
$`\mathrm{}`$

For $`c=0`$ the Tomita-takesaki structure is particularly simple and close to the positive case; the case $`c0`$ requires a more general analysis of Gaussian indefinite functionals, which will be done elsewhere.

###### Proposition 2.3

If $`\omega `$ is the Gaussian hermitean linear functional on the Heisenberg algebra $`𝒜_H`$, defined by eqs.(2.3) with $`c=0`$, then $`\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)^{}`$ is the (concrete) algebra $`𝒜_H^{}`$ generated by pseudo-canonical variables $`q^{},p^{}`$

$$q^{}JqJ^{},p^{}JpJ^{},[q^{},p^{}]=i,$$
(2.9)
where $`J`$ is an anti-unitary operator with respect to the indefinite inner product of $`D`$:

$$JJ^{}=J^{}J=1.$$
(2.10)
J is related to $`S`$ and to the (non positive) modular operator $`\mathrm{}S^{}S`$ by

$$S=J\mathrm{}^{1/2}.$$
(2.11)
$`\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)`$ is the tensor product of a Fock and an anti-Fock representation, respectively, for the pairs of canonical variables

$$Q_\pm (q\pm p^{})/\sqrt{2},P_\pm (\pm p+q^{})/\sqrt{2}$$
(2.12)
which satisfy

$$[Q_\pm ,P_\pm ]=\pm i,[Q_{},P_\pm ]=0.$$
(2.13)
In fact, by introducing the operators

$$a(Q_++iP_+)/\sqrt{2},b^{}(Q_{}+iP_{})/\sqrt{2},$$
(2.14)
which satisfy

$$[a,a^{}]=1=[b,b^{}],,[a,b]=[a,b^{}]=0,$$
(2.15)
one has that $`\mathrm{\Psi }_0`$ satisfies the Fock and anti-Fock conditions

$$a\mathrm{\Psi }_0=0,b^{}\mathrm{\Psi }_0=0.$$
(2.16)
Proof The adjoint of $`S`$ satisfies

$$S^{}\mathrm{\Psi }_0=\mathrm{\Psi }_0,S^{\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}2}}=1,S^{}\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)^{}S^{}=\pi _\omega (𝒜_H).$$
(2.17)
In fact, one has

$$<A\mathrm{\Psi }_0,S^{}\mathrm{\Psi }_0>=\overline{<SA\mathrm{\Psi }_0,\mathrm{\Psi }_0>}=<A\mathrm{\Psi }_0,\mathrm{\Psi }_0>;$$

the last eq.(2.17) follows from eq.(2.8).

Because of the indefinite inner product, the analog of the modular operator $`\mathrm{}S^{}S`$ is not positive and in fact it is given by

$$S^{}Sp^kq^j\mathrm{\Psi }_0=S^{}q^jp^kS^{}\mathrm{\Psi }_0=(1)^{j+k}p^kq^j\mathrm{\Psi }_0.$$

Even if $`\mathrm{}`$ is not positive one may introduce a hermitean square root of $`\mathrm{}`$

$$\mathrm{}^{1/2}p^kq^j\mathrm{\Psi }_0i^k(i)^jp^kq^j\mathrm{\Psi }_0.$$
(2.18)
In fact

$$<\mathrm{}^{1/2}p^lq^m\mathrm{\Psi }_0,p^kq^j\mathrm{\Psi }_0>=(i)^li^m\omega (q^mp^lp^kq^j)=$$

$$i^k(i)^j\omega (q^mp^lp^kq^j)=<p^lq^m\mathrm{\Psi }_0,\mathrm{}^{1/2}p^kq^j\mathrm{\Psi }_0>,$$

since the above correlation functions vanish unless $`k+l=m+j`$. A hermitean $`\mathrm{}^{1/2}`$ is defined by changing $`i`$ into $`i`$ in the definition of $`\mathrm{}^{1/2}`$.

In analogy with the non zero temperature case, one may then introduce the analog of the modular conjugation $`J`$ defined by $`J=S\mathrm{}^{1/2}`$. Equation (2.10) follows and as in the standard case $`J\mathrm{}^{1/2}J=\mathrm{}^{1/2}`$.

We may then introduce the following hermitean operators

$$q^{}JqJ^{}=iSqS,p^{}JpJ^{}=iSpS.$$
(2.19)
They satisfy the following (pseudo-)canonical commutation relations

$$[q^{},p^{}]=J[q,p]J^{}=i.$$

Furthermore, by the definition of the antilinear operator $`S`$, we have

$$(q+iq^{})\mathrm{\Psi }_0=(qSqS)\mathrm{\Psi }_0=0,(pip^{})\mathrm{\Psi }_0=(pSpS)\mathrm{\Psi }_0=0.$$

The above equations imply eqs.(2.16). They also imply that the operator

$$H(p^2+p_{}^{}{}_{}{}^{2})/2=(p+ip^{})(pip^{})/2=(a^{}b)(ab^{})/2$$
(2.20)
annihilates $`\mathrm{\Psi }_0`$ and can be taken as the Hamiltonian, since it has the right commutation relations with $`q,p`$. By the same kind of argument, $`\mathrm{\Psi }_0`$ is annihilated also by $`q^2+(q^{})^2`$. $`\mathrm{}`$

In conclusion, even if the energy spectral condition is satisfied by the correlation functions of $`\omega `$, the corresponding GNS representation of $`\pi _\omega (𝒜_H)`$ exhibits features similar to those of a KMS state. The modular group can be written as

$$(\mathrm{}^{1/2})^{it}=e^{i\pi At},A={\scriptscriptstyle \frac{1}{2}}(pq+qpp^{}q^{}q^{}p^{}).$$

The representation of $`𝒜_H`$ in an indefinite inner product space characterized in Proposition 2.3 can be given a Krein structure.

###### Proposition 2.4

The indefinite inner product representation space $`D=\pi _\omega (𝒜_H))\mathrm{\Psi }_0`$ can be given a Krein structure by introducing a metric operator $`\eta `$ with $`\eta \mathrm{\Psi }_0=\mathrm{\Psi }_0`$ and

$$\eta a\eta =a,\eta b\eta =b,$$
(2.21)
equivalently,

$$\eta q\eta =p^{},\eta p\eta =q^{}.$$
(2.22)
Proof It follows easily from the positivity of the two point function $`(b\mathrm{\Psi }_0,\eta b\mathrm{\Psi }_0)`$. $`\mathrm{}`$

The so obtained structure provides an example of the Tomita-Takesaki theory in indefinite inner product spaces; surprisingly, the commutant is described by pseudo-canonical variables, as it happens for the time component of the electromagnetic potential in the Gupta-Bleuler formulation of the free electromagnetic field. The above representation of $`b,b^{}`$ is the same as the anti-Fock representation of the CCR discussed in

The above representation of the Heisenberg algebra in a Krein space allows for the construction of the Weyl algebra (equivalently of the Heisenberg group) as the algebra generated by the (pseudo) unitary operators $`U(\alpha )\mathrm{exp}i\alpha q`$, $`V(\beta )\mathrm{exp}i\beta p`$. Therefore, in this way one gets a ground state (regular) representation of the Weyl algebra for the free particle; however, the correlation functions of ther Weyl operators do not satisfy the energy spectral condition (see Appendix A).

The lack of positivity of the time translationally invariant state can be avoided by looking for representations of the Weyl algebra which do not yield representations of the Heisenberg algebra. The analog of eq.(2.2) is now

$$\alpha _t(W(\alpha ,\beta ))=W(\alpha ,\beta +\alpha t).$$
(2.23)
and the (unique) representation defined by a translationally invariant state $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is identified by the following expectations

$$\mathrm{\Omega }(W(\alpha ,\beta ))=0,if\alpha 0;\mathrm{\Omega }(W(0,\beta ))=1.$$
(2.24)
In this case the Fourier transforms of the correlation functions $`\mathrm{\Omega }(A\alpha _t(B))`$ are measures with support contained in $`𝐑^+`$, see Appendix B. The corresponding euclidean formulation satisfies Nelson positivity and therefore it admits a unique functional integral representation (see Appendix C).

## 3 Euclidean formulation and stochastic processes. Indefinite case

a. Schwinger functions and Osterwalder-Schrader reconstruction

The n-point Schwinger functions obtained by Laplace transforms of the Wightman functions of $`q`$ factorize as usual for Gaussian states and define a functional $`\mathrm{\Phi }_S`$ on the euclidean Borchers’ algebra, fully determined by the two point function

$$\mathrm{\Phi }_S(\overline{f}\times g)<f,g>d\tau _1d\tau _2\overline{f}(\tau _1)𝒮(\tau _1,\tau _2)g(\tau _2),f,g𝒮(𝐑)𝒮,$$

$$𝒮(\tau _1,\tau _2)=S(\tau )=c|\tau |/2.$$
(3.1)
Euclidean fields $`x(f),f𝒮,f`$ real, can be introduced as usual, with two point function

$$<x(f)x(g)>=<f,g>$$

and n-point functions given by the functional ($`f`$ real)

$$<e^{ix(f)}>e^{<f,f>/2}=e^{{\scriptscriptstyle f(\tau )f(\sigma )S(\tau \sigma )𝑑\tau 𝑑s/2}}.$$
(3.2)
The Osterwalder-Schrader positivity is not satisfied, since $`𝒮(\tau _1,\tau _2)=c(\tau _1+\tau _2)/2,\tau _1,\tau _20,`$ is not a positive kernel and therefore

$$\mathrm{\Phi }_S(\overline{\theta f}\times f),(\theta f)(\tau )f(\tau ),$$

is not positive.

However, the Osterwalder-Schrader (O-S) reconstruction of the real time indefinite vector space, in terms of the Schwinger functions can be done by the standard extension of the recostruction without positivity . The O-S scalar product is defined by factorization starting from

$$<f,g>_{OS}<\theta f,g>=i/2(\overline{\stackrel{~}{f}^{}(0)}\stackrel{~}{g}(0)\overline{\stackrel{~}{f}(0)}\stackrel{~}{g}^{}(0))+c\overline{\stackrel{~}{f}(0)}\stackrel{~}{g}(0)$$

for $`f,g𝒮(𝐑^+)𝒮^+`$.

The null space of the O-S scalar product,

$$N_{OS}\{f𝒮(𝐑^+):<f,g>_{OS}=0g𝒮(𝐑^+)\},$$

has codimension two, so that the space $`𝒮(𝐑^+)/N_{OS}`$ is two–dimensional.
b. Nelson space
In contrast with the standard case, $`<.,.>`$ is not positive and therefore does not define a Gaussian measure for the functional integral representation of the correlation functions (3.2).

###### Proposition 3.1

The inner product $`<.,.>`$ is positive on $`𝒮_0(𝐑)\{f𝒮(𝐑),f𝑑\tau =0\}`$, and there is a function $`\chi `$ such that $`<\chi ,\chi >=1`$. Thus $`𝒮(𝐑)`$ is an indefinite inner product space with one negative dimension (pre-Pontriagin space).

Proof The proof follows easily since the Fourier transform of $`S`$ is

$$\stackrel{~}{S}(\omega )=2\pi c\delta (\omega )(d/d\omega )P(1/\omega ),$$

where $`P`$ denotes the principal value. $`\mathrm{}`$

For simplicity, in the following we consider the case $`c=0`$. The above indefinite inner product space has a functional structure very similar to the indefinite inner product space defined by the (real time) two point function of the massless scalar field in two space time dimension . As in that case, there is only one extension  of $`𝒮(𝐑)`$ to a weakly complete inner product space $`\overline{𝒮}(𝐑)`$,(also briefly denoted by $`\overline{𝒮}`$), since the negative space has finite dimensions .

###### Proposition 3.2

The space $`\overline{𝒮}(𝐑)`$ has the following decomposition, where $`<>`$ denotes orthogonal sum with respect to $`<.,.>`$,

$$\overline{𝒮}(𝐑)=\overline{𝒮}_{00}<>𝒱,$$
(3.3)
$$𝒮_{00}(\frac{d}{d\tau })^2𝒮^+<>(\frac{d}{d\tau })^2𝒮^{},𝒮^\pm 𝒮(𝐑^\pm ),𝒱\{a\delta _0+bw,a,b𝐂\},$$

$$<\delta _0,\delta _0>=0=<w,w>,<\delta _0,w>=1/2,$$
(3.4)
$$<\delta _0,f>=d\sigma f(\sigma )|\sigma |,<w,f>=\stackrel{~}{f}(0)/2,$$
(3.5)
the product $`<.,.>`$ is positive on $`𝒮_{00}`$

$$<f,g>=(F^{},G^{})_{L^2},f=F^{\prime \prime },g=G^{\prime \prime },F,G𝒮^\pm ,$$
(3.6)
and $`\overline{𝒮}_{00}`$ denotes the closure of $`𝒮_{00}`$ with respect to it.

$`\overline{𝒮}(𝐑)`$ can be turned into a Krein space $`K_\alpha `$, such that the above decomposition is also orthogonal with respect to the Krein scalar product ($`\alpha 𝐑^+`$)

$$[f,g]_\alpha =<f,\eta _\alpha g><f,g>+2<f,\alpha \delta _0+\alpha ^1w><\alpha \delta _0+\alpha ^1w,g>,$$
(3.7)
where the metric $`\eta _\alpha ,\eta _\alpha ^2=1`$ is defined by $`\alpha \delta _0+\alpha ^1w`$ being its negative eigenvector.

Proof The sequences $`d_n`$, with $`d_n(\tau )`$ smooth positive approximations of the Dirac delta function $`\delta (\tau )`$, converge weakly in the topology of the inner product (3.1); also the sequences $`f_n(\tau )=f(\tau n)/n,f𝒮(𝐑),\stackrel{~}{f}(0)=1`$, are weakly convergent. In fact one has

$$\underset{n\mathrm{}}{lim}<\delta _n,g>={\scriptscriptstyle \frac{1}{2}}g(s)|s\sigma |𝑑s,\underset{n\pm \mathrm{}}{lim}<f_n,g>=\stackrel{~}{g}(0)/2.$$
(3.8)
Actually, all the above sequences are uniformly weakly compatible sequences in the sense of , i.e. $`lim_{n,m}<u_n,u_m>`$ exists and $`lim_n<u_n,g>`$ exists $`g𝒮(𝐑)`$. Therefore they define a weak extension $`𝒮_{ext}`$ of $`𝒮(𝐑)`$ through the addition of the elements

$$\delta _0=w\underset{n\mathrm{}}{lim}d_n,w=w\underset{n\mathrm{}}{lim}f_n.$$
(3.9)
Since

$$\underset{(n,m)\mathrm{}}{lim}<d_n,d_m>=0,\underset{(n,m)\mathrm{}}{lim}<f_n,\delta _m>=1/2,\underset{(n,m)\mathrm{}}{lim}<d_n,d_m>=0$$

we have

$$<w,g>=\stackrel{~}{g}(0)/2,<w,w>=0,<\delta _0,w>=1/2,,<\delta _0,\delta _0>=0.$$
(3.10)
The product (3.7) is well defined in $`𝒮_{ext}`$ and makes it a pre-Krein space; $`𝒮(𝐑)`$ is dense in the Krein completion of $`𝒮_{ext}`$, which therefore coincides with the unique weakly complete extension $`\overline{S}(𝐑)`$ of $`𝒮(𝐑)`$.

$`\overline{S}(𝐑)`$ contains also the weak limits $`\delta _\sigma `$ of the sequences $`d_n(\tau \sigma )`$, $`\sigma 𝐑`$, which satisfy

$$<\delta _\sigma ,\delta _\rho >={\scriptscriptstyle \frac{1}{2}}|\sigma \rho |.$$
(3.11)
In order to prove eq.(3.3), we have to show that $`f\overline{𝒮},<f,𝒱>=0`$, and $`<f,𝒮_{00}>=0`$ implies $`f=0`$. In fact, if $`f_nf`$ strongly in $`\overline{S}(𝐑)`$, then $`<f_n,\delta _0>0`$, $`<f_n,w>0`$. One can then construct a sequence $`h_nf`$ with $`<h_n,w>=0=<h_n,\delta >`$; by eq.(3.10) this implies $`h_n𝒮_0(𝐑)`$, i.e. $`h_n=dg_n/d\tau `$. Then, one has

$$[h_nh_m,h_nh_m]_\alpha =<h_nh_m,h_nh_m>=||g_ng_m||_{L_2}^2,$$

so that $`g_n`$ converge in $`L_2`$. Now, $`<f,𝒮_{00}>=0`$ implies that $`k^\pm 𝒮^\pm `$

$$<h_n,d^2k^\pm /d\tau ^2>=(g_n,dk^\pm /d\tau )_{L_2}0,$$

so that $`g_n0,`$ in $`L_2`$ and $`h_n0`$ in $`\overline{𝒮}`$.

The other statements of the Proposition follow easily. $`\mathrm{}`$

In the parametrization of the Krein scalar products, $`\alpha `$ plays the rôle of a scale parameter; thus, even if the correlation functions are scale invariant, the Krein products are not.

As usual, one can construct the Fock space $`\mathrm{\Gamma }(K)`$ over $`K`$. Euclidean fields $`x(f)`$, $`f`$ real, act on $`\mathrm{\Gamma }(K)`$ and by standard arguments they can be extended from $`𝒮`$ to $`K`$; the existence of $`\delta _0`$ and $`w`$ are equivalent to the existence of the fields $`x(\tau )`$ at fixed times, $`xx(0)`$, and of the (positive time) ergodic mean of the velocity, namely $`vlim_{\tau +\mathrm{}}x(\tau )/\tau `$.

The OS scalar product extends by continuity to the Krein closure of $`𝒮^+`$ and $`K_{OS}`$ can be identified with the subspace $`𝒱`$ of the Krein closure $`\overline{𝒮}(𝐑^+)`$ generated by $`\delta _0`$ and $`w`$. In fact, by eqs. (3.4), (3.5), $`f,g𝒮^+`$

$$<f,g>_{OS}=<E_0f,E_0g>,E_0f\stackrel{~}{f}(0)\delta _0+i\stackrel{~}{f}^{}(0)w.$$

The above decomposition allows to control the failure of Nelson positivity and from this point of view the model can be seen as an example of a general structure which substantially generalizes Nelson strategy to cases in which positivity fails and in particular allows for a generalization of the formulation of the Markov property in terms of projections (see Appendix D).

## 4 Functional integral representation

The decomposition (3.3) provides the tool for writing a functional integral representation of the functional (3.2). In fact, by eq.(3.6), $`<e^{ix(f)}>,f𝒮_{00},f=F^{\prime \prime }`$, can be represented in terms of a functional integral with Wiener measure

$$<e^{ix(f)}>=𝑑W_0(\xi (\tau ))e^{i\xi (f)},$$
(4.1)
since for $`f𝒮_{00}`$ one has $`𝑑\tau |\tau |f(\tau )=0`$ and therefore

$$<f,f>=𝑑W_0(\xi (\tau ))\xi (f)^2.$$

We are then left with the case $`f𝒱`$.

Quite generally, a Gaussian functional defined by a (not necessarily positive) quadratic form on a finite dimensional space $`V`$ has a canonical representation in terms of a positive measure and complex random variables.

This is easily seen in our case, where the two dimensional space $`𝒱`$ is generated by $`\delta _0`$ and $`w`$. Then, one has

$$<\alpha \delta _0+\beta w,\alpha \delta _0+\beta w>=\alpha \beta =2\pi ^1𝑑z𝑑\overline{z}e^{2|z|^2}(\alpha z\beta \overline{z})(\alpha z\beta \overline{z})$$
(4.2)
Thus, for any polynomial $`𝒫`$ one has

$$<𝒫(x,v)>=\pi ^1𝑑z𝑑\overline{z}e^{2|z|^2}𝒫(z,\overline{z}).$$
(4.3)
In conclusion, the decomposition according to eq.(3.3)

$$\delta _\tau (\sigma )=\delta _0+|\tau |w+h_\tau (\sigma ),h_\tau (\sigma )\overline{𝒮}_{00}$$

gives the following decomposition of the field variables

$$x(\tau )=x(\delta _\tau )=x+|\tau |v+x(h_\tau ),$$
(4.4)
with

$$<x(h_\tau )x(h_\sigma )>=+1/2(|\tau \sigma |+|\tau |+|\sigma |).$$

Therefore, putting $`z=z_1+iz_2`$,

$$<x(\tau _1)\mathrm{}x(\tau _n)>=$$

$$2\pi ^1𝑑W_{0,0}(\xi (\tau ))𝑑z_1𝑑z_2e^{2|z|^2}(\xi (\tau _1)+z|\tau _1|\overline{z})\mathrm{}(\xi (\tau _n)+z|\tau _n|\overline{z}).$$
(4.5)
The occurrence of complex random variables should not be regarded as an oddity, since the operators $`x,v`$ are hermitean with respect to the indefinite product but they are not self adjoint operators in the Hilbert-Krein $`K_\alpha `$, since they do not commute with the metric $`\eta _\alpha `$. Their realization as multiplication operators should therefore account for their non real spectrum and lead to complex variables. This phenomenon looks of general nature and therefore should generically appear in local formulations of gauge theories, where positivity does not hold (for an example see Ref. .

The above functional integral representation gives direct information on the Hilbert-Krein structure which can be associated to the correlation functions (4.5). In fact, the Krein scalar product (3.7) can be associated to the Krein two point function of a Gaussian euclidean field $`x_\alpha (f)`$

$$[f,g]_\alpha =[x(f)\mathrm{\Psi }_0,x(g)\mathrm{\Psi }_0]_\alpha =<\mathrm{\Psi }_0,x_\alpha (f)x_\alpha (g)\mathrm{\Psi }_0>,$$

$$x_\alpha (f)1/2(x(f)+\eta _\alpha x(f)\eta _\alpha )i/2(x(f)\eta _\alpha x(f)\eta _\alpha ).$$

The positive Gaussian functional

$$[e^{ix(f)}]_\alpha e^{[f,f]_\alpha /2},$$
(4.6)
defines a Gaussian measure on $`𝒮^{}`$

$$𝑑\mu _\alpha e^{ix(f)}e^{[f,f]_\alpha /2}$$
(4.7)
and it is not difficult to see that the explicit form of the corresponding functional integral is obtained by replacing the complex variables $`z,\overline{z}`$ in eq.(4.5) by real variables $`\alpha ^1(z_1+z_2),\alpha (z_1z_2)`$, corresponding to $`x,v`$.

An explicit analysis of the gaussian measure defined by the Krein scalar product (generating kernel, Markov properties etc.) immediately follows from such a representation.

The Markov property for $`d\mu _\alpha `$ holds in the variables $`\stackrel{~}{\xi }(\tau )x+\xi (\tau )`$, $`v(\tau )`$, with $`v(\tau )`$ constant in $`\tau `$; in fact, $`d\mu _\alpha `$ defines a measure on trajectories $`\stackrel{~}{\xi }(\tau ),v(\tau )`$, concentrated on $`v(\tau )=v`$ and satisfying the Markov property in the two variables $`x(\tau ),v(\tau )`$.

Clearly, the process defined by $`d\mu _\alpha `$ corresponds to Brownian motion, with gaussian distribution of variance $`\alpha ^2/2`$ for the position at $`\tau =0`$, with an additional gaussian variable, with variance $`\alpha ^2/2`$, describing non-zero mean velocities, with opposite and constant values for $`\tau >0`$ and $`\tau <0`$. The limit $`\alpha 0`$ exists in the sense of positive functionals on the Bohr algebra and coincides with the measure on its spectrum discussed in Appendix C.

## Appendix A Appendix A. Indefinite representations of the Weyl algebra

###### Proposition A.1

The formal series corresponding to the exponentials $`U(\alpha )`$, $`V(\beta )`$, $`\alpha ,\beta 𝐑`$ converge strongly in the Krein topology defined in Proposition 2.4 and define (pseudo) unitary operators in the corresponding Krein space. The so obtained Weyl operators $`U(\alpha )`$, $`V(\beta )`$ generate a Weyl algebra $`𝒜_W`$ and in this way one gets a regular representation in a Krein space, defined by a state $`\omega `$ invariant under the free time evolution and characterized by the following expectations

$$\omega (e^{i\alpha q}e^{i\beta p})=e^{i\alpha \beta /2}\alpha ,\beta 𝐑$$
(A.1)
Proof By expressing $`q`$ and $`p`$ in terms of the destruction and creation operators $`a,a^{},b,b^{}`$ defined in Proposition 2.3, one gets (by Fock space methods) the analog of the standard Fock estimate

$$q^n\mathrm{\Psi }_0_K2^n\sqrt{n!},$$

where $`||||_K`$ denotes the Krein-Hilbert norm, and a similar estimate for $`p^n\mathrm{\Psi }_0`$. As in the standard case, this yields the strong convergence of the series and the existence of the (pseudo) unitary operators $`U(\alpha )`$, $`V(\beta )`$. The above expectations follow from the correlation functions

$$\omega (q^np^m)=\delta _{n,m}(i/2)^nn!$$
(A.2)
It is worthwhile to mention that the operators $`U(\alpha )`$, $`V(\beta )`$ do not commute with the metric operator $`\eta `$, and therefore they are not unitary with respect to the positive (Hilbert) scalar product $`(,\eta )`$ defined by $`\eta `$. Since $`\omega `$ is time translation invariant, the time evolution automorphisms $`\alpha _t`$, $`t𝐑`$ are implemented by a one parameter group $`𝒰(t)`$ of (pseudo) unitary operators, and information about their spectral properties is given by the Fourier transforms of the correlation functions $`\omega (A\alpha _t(B))`$.

###### Proposition A.2

In the representation of the Weyl algebra in the Krein space discussed above, the Fourier transform of the correlation functions $`\omega (A\alpha _t(B))`$ are tempered distributions with the following properties:

i) for $`A,B𝒜_H`$ they have support at the origin,

ii) for $`A,B𝒜_W`$ they are measures with support in the real line.

Proof In fact, by the definition of the time evolution and the invariance of $`\omega `$ one has

$$\omega (p^kq^j\alpha _t(p^lq^m))=P_m(t),$$

with $`P_m(t)`$ a polynomial of degree $`m`$. On the other hand

$$\omega (U(\alpha )\alpha _t(U(\beta )))=e^{i\alpha \beta t/2}.$$

In the latter case, the support of the Fourier transform is contained in the positive real axis for the diagonal expectations, $`\alpha =\beta `$, but not in general.

## Appendix B Appendix B. Ground state positive representations of the Weyl algebra

###### Proposition B.1

A time translationally invariant positive state $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ on the Weyl algebra $`𝒜_W`$ satisfying the positivity of the energy spectrum is identified by having the following expectations of $`W(\alpha ,\beta )U(\alpha )V(\beta )\mathrm{exp}(i\alpha \beta /2)`$

$$\mathrm{\Omega }(W(\alpha ,\beta ))=0,if\alpha 0;\mathrm{\Omega }(W(0,\beta ))=1.$$
(B.1)
Proof Time translation invariance implies that the above expectation is independent of $`\beta `$ if $`\alpha 0`$. On the other hand,

$$\mathrm{\Omega }(W(\alpha ,0)\alpha _t(W(\gamma ,0))=\mathrm{\Omega }(W(\alpha +\gamma ,\gamma t))e^{i\alpha \gamma t/2},$$
(B.2)
so that, since for $`\alpha =\gamma 0`$,

$$\mathrm{\Omega }(W(\alpha +\gamma ,\gamma t))=\mathrm{\Omega }(W(\alpha +\gamma ,0)),$$

positivity of the energy requires that it vanishes. For $`\alpha =\gamma `$, the Fourier transform of eq.(B.2) has support in $`𝐑^+,\gamma 𝐑`$, iff the Fourier transform of $`\mathrm{\Omega }(W(0,\gamma t))`$ has positive support, which holds for all $`\gamma `$ iff the support is at the origin. Positivity of the state $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ then implies that $`\mathrm{\Omega }(W(0,\alpha t))=1`$. Thus, eqs.(B.1) hold. Conversely, eqs.(B.1) define a positive state (as a limit of ground states of harmonic oscillators ). Moreover, eqs.(2.2) imply

$$\mathrm{\Omega }(W(\alpha ,\beta )\alpha _t(W(\gamma ,\delta )))=\delta _{\alpha ,\gamma }e^{i\alpha (\delta +\beta )/2}e^{i\alpha ^2t/2},$$

where $`\delta _{\alpha ,\gamma }=1`$, if $`\alpha =\gamma `$ and zero otherwise; therefore positivity of the energy follows.

In conclusion, by the GNS construction, one has a nonregular representation of the Weyl algebra in a Hilbert space $``$, with cyclic vector $`\mathrm{\Psi }_\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Since eqs.(B.1) imply

$$V(\beta )\mathrm{\Psi }_\mathrm{\Omega }=\mathrm{\Psi }_\mathrm{\Omega },$$
(B.3)
$`\mathrm{\Psi }_\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is also cyclic with respect to the algebra generated by the $`U(\alpha )`$’s. The occurrence of non regular representations should not be regarded as too bizarre, since they can be related to reasonable physical descriptions. In fact, if we consider a free particle in a bounded volume $`V`$, it is reasonable to consider the algebra of canonical variables $`𝒜_V`$ generated by $`\mathrm{exp}(i\beta p)`$, $`\beta 𝐑`$ and by the (continuous) functions of $`q`$, $`f_V(q)`$, with support contained in $`V`$.

There is a natural embedding of $`𝒜_V`$ into the Weyl algebra $`𝒜_W`$, i.e., if

$$f_V(x)=c_ne^{ik_nx},xV,$$

then its periodic extension

$$f(q)=c_ne^{ik_nq},q𝐑,$$

defines a corresponding element of $`𝒜_W`$. Then, if $`\mathrm{\Psi }_V(x)=const`$ denotes the ground state in the volume $`V`$ (with periodic or Neumann boundary conditions for the Hamiltonian), one has

$$(\mathrm{\Psi }_V,f_V(x)e^{i\beta p}\mathrm{\Psi }_V)=\mathrm{\Omega }(f(q)e^{i\beta p}),$$

where $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is the nonregular state characterized in the above Proposition. The nonregular representation provides therefore a volume independent mathematical description of the above concrete situation.

## Appendix C Appendix C. Positive euclidean formulation and stochastic processes

In order to discuss the stochastic processes associated to the quantum free particle, it is convenient to derive the corresponding euclidean formulation.

For the representation characterized in the previous Appendix, we have for the two point (Wightman) function for the Weyl operators $`U(\alpha )`$

$$\mathrm{\Omega }(U(\alpha )e^{iHt}U(\alpha ^{}))=\delta _{\alpha ,\alpha ^{}}e^{i\alpha ^2t/2}.$$
(C.1)
The Fourier transform is

$$\stackrel{~}{W}(\omega )=\sqrt{2\pi }\delta (\omega \alpha ^2/2)\delta _{\alpha ,\alpha ^{}}.$$

The n-point (Wightman)functions of the Weyl operators $`U(\alpha )`$ are obtained by induction from

$$\alpha _t(U(\alpha )V(\beta ))=U(\alpha )V(\beta +\alpha t)e^{i\alpha ^2t/2}$$

using eq.(C.1), and are given by ($`U(\gamma ,t)\alpha _t(U(\gamma )))`$

$$\mathrm{\Omega }((U(\alpha _1,t_1))\mathrm{}U(\alpha _n,t_n)))=\delta _{{\scriptscriptstyle \alpha _i},\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}0}}e^{i_{i=2}^n(t_it_{i1})(_{k=i}^n\alpha _k)^2/2}.$$
(C.2)
The corresponding n-point Schwinger functions are immediately obtained by analytic continuation to ordered imaginary times $`\tau _1\tau _2\mathrm{}\tau _n`$ :

$$𝒮(\alpha _1\tau _1,\mathrm{}\alpha _n\tau _n)=\delta _{{\scriptscriptstyle \alpha _i},\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}0}}e^{_{i=2}^n(\tau _i\tau _{i1})(_{k=i}^n\alpha _k)^2/2}.$$
(C.3)
and extended by symmetry to all euclidean times $`\tau _1,\tau _2\mathrm{}\tau _n𝐑`$.

¿From the existence and positivity of the Hamiltonian in the representation defined by eq.(B.1), it follows that the above Schwinger functions can also be written as

$$𝒮(\alpha _1\tau _1,\mathrm{}\alpha _n\tau _n)=(\mathrm{\Psi }_\mathrm{\Omega },U(\alpha _1)e^{(\tau _2\tau _1)H}U(\alpha _2)\mathrm{}e^{(\tau _n\tau _{n1})H}U(\alpha _n)\mathrm{\Psi }_\mathrm{\Omega })$$
(C.4)
By standard arguments, one can introduce the corresponding Borchers algebra and euclidean fields $`U_E(\alpha ,\tau )`$ so that the Schwinger functions define a linear functional $`E`$ on the euclidean fields

$$𝒮(\alpha _1\tau _1,\mathrm{}\alpha _n\tau _n)=E(U_E(\alpha _1,\tau _1)\mathrm{}U_E(\alpha _n,\tau _n)).$$

Equation (4.3) implies the Osterwalder-Schrader (OS) positivity of the Schwinger functions, with the OS reflection operator $`\theta `$ defined by

$$\theta U_E(\alpha ,\tau )=U_E(\alpha ,\tau ),$$

i.e. one has

$$E(\overline{\theta B}B)0,$$

$`B`$ belonging to the algebra generated by $`U_E(\alpha ,\tau ),\alpha 𝐑,\tau 0`$, where $`\overline{U_E(\alpha ,\tau )}U_E(\alpha ,\tau )`$.

It is a non trivial fact that also Nelson positivity holds. As a matter of fact, the above Schwinger functions can be expressed as expectations of fields $`e^{i\alpha x(\tau )}`$ with functional measure

$$d\mu (x(\tau ))=dW_{0,x}(x(\tau ))d\nu (x),$$

where $`dW_{s,y}`$ denotes the Wiener measure for trajectories starting at the point $`y`$ at time $`\tau =s`$ and $`d\nu `$ denotes the ergodic mean; in fact $`d\nu `$ defines a measure on the Gelfand spectrum $`\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ of the Bohr algebra generated by $`e^{i\alpha x}`$  and

$$𝑑\nu (x)𝑑W_{0,x}(x(\tau ))e^{i\alpha _1x(\tau _1)}\mathrm{}e^{i\alpha _nx(\tau _n)}$$

$$=𝑑\nu (x)𝑑W_{0,0}(y(\tau ))e^{i_i\alpha _iy(\tau _i)}e^{i_i\alpha _ix}$$

$$=\delta (\underset{i}{}\alpha _i)𝑑W_{0,0}(y(\tau ))e^{i_i\alpha _iy(\tau _i)}=𝒮(\alpha _1\tau _1,\mathrm{}\alpha _n\tau _n),y(\tau _i)x(\tau _i)x.$$

The measure $`d\mu `$ is invariant under time translations,

$$dW_{0,y}(x(\tau ))d\nu (y)=dW_{s,y}(x(\tau ))d\nu (y)$$

because $`d\nu (x)`$ is invariant under translations $`xx+a`$ and therefore stationary for the Brownian motion.

The measure $`d\mu `$ is invariant under translations $`x(\tau )x(\tau )+a`$; they can be given the meaning of gauge trasformations and can be regarded as the analog of the gauge group of traslations of step $`2\pi `$ for a particle on a circle . In conclusion, the euclidean correlation functions can be obtained as the stochastic process with expectations defined by $`d\mu `$.

Since the ground state $`\mathrm{\Psi }_\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is cyclic with respect to the euclidean algebra at time zero in the space $``$, obtained by the OS recostruction theorem, such a space can be identified with $`L^2(\mathrm{\Sigma },d\nu )`$.

One can explicitly check that the Markov property holds; if $`\tau _10\tau _2`$ one has

$$𝑑\mu e^{i\alpha x(\tau _1)}e^{i\beta x(\tau _2)}=𝑑\nu (x)e^{i(\alpha +\beta )x}𝑑W_{0,x}(x(\tau ))e^{i\alpha (x(\tau _1)x)}e^{i\beta (x(\tau _2)x)}$$

$$=𝑑\nu (x)e^{i(\alpha +\beta )x)}𝑑W_{0,0}^{}(y(\tau ))e^{i\alpha y(\tau _1)}𝑑W_{0,0}^+(y(\tau ))e^{i\beta y(\tau _2)}.$$

## Appendix D Appendix D. Markov property without Nelson positivity

For simplicity, we discuss the problem at the level of the two point function, which is assumed to define a non degenerate inner product $`<.,.>`$ on $`𝒮`$, satisfying the following properties:
i) $`<\theta f,\theta g>=<f,g>,(\theta f)(\tau )f(\tau ),`$
ii) there exists an operator $`D`$ on $`𝒮`$, such that, $`f,g𝒮`$

$$<f,Dg>=(f,g)_{L^2},D𝒮^\pm 𝒮^\pm ,[D,\theta ]=0,$$

iii) $`𝒮`$ is weakly dense in a nondegenerate weakly complete inner product space $`\overline{𝒮}`$, which has the following decomposition

$$\overline{𝒮}=\overline{𝒮^{}}<+>\overline{D𝒮^+},$$
(D.1)
with $`<+>`$ denoting a $`<,>`$ orthogonal sum.

Then, by i), ii) one also has

$$\overline{𝒮}=\overline{𝒮^+}<+>\overline{D𝒮^{}}.$$
(D.2)
Furthermore, since $`\overline{D𝒮^\pm }\overline{𝒮^\pm }`$, $`f𝒮`$, by eq.(D.1) one has

$$f=f_{}+f_{0+},f_{}\overline{𝒮^{}},f_{0+}\overline{D𝒮^+}$$

and by eq.(D.2) $`f_{}=(f_{})_++(f_{})_0,(f_{})_+\overline{𝒮^+},(f_{})_0\overline{D𝒮^{}}`$. Hence,

$$f=f_{0+}+(f_{})_0+(f_{})_+,(f_{})_+\overline{𝒮^+}\overline{𝒮^{}}.$$

In conclusion, one has

$$\overline{𝒮}=\overline{D𝒮^{}}<+>\overline{D𝒮^+}<+>𝒱,𝒱=\overline{𝒮^+}\overline{𝒮^{}}.$$
(D.3)
Since $`\overline{𝒮}`$ is non degenerate the decompositions (D.1-D.3) are unique; in fact, non uniqueness would imply a non zero intersection of orthogonal spaces, which implies degeneracy of the inner product. Thus, any vector $`f\overline{𝒮}`$ has unique decompositions according to eqs.(D.1-D.3), which means that correspondingly there are everywhere defined idempotent operators, which are hermitean with respect to $`<,>`$. In particular, there are $`E_\pm ,E_0`$ defined by $`E_\pm \overline{𝒮}=\overline{𝒮^\pm }`$, and $`E_0\overline{𝒮}=𝒱`$ and eqs.(D.1-D.3) give

$$E_+E_{}=E_{}E_+=E_0.$$
(D.4)
Thus, we get the same operator formulation of the Markov property as in the positive case.

For quasi free states, the above construction extends in the usual way to the n-point Schwinger functions, in terms of the sum of the symmetric tensor products of the above indefinite spaces. Similarly, the euclidean field $`x(f)`$ has an extension to $`f\overline{𝒮}`$.

In the example discussed in this note, $`D=d^2/d\tau ^2`$ with the Krein structure given by eq.(3.7). The decomposition (D.3) reduces to (3.3) and it is also orthogonal in the positive scalar product. The lesson from the model is that the space $`𝒱`$ can be larger than the standard time zero space; in the model it contains a time translationally invariant variable, actually the (positive time) ergodic limit of the velocity.

Thus, the model supports the idea that, in the (indefinite) space defined by the correlation functions of the field algebra, the observable algebra has in general a reducible vacuum representation .

Keywords: Weyl algebra, non-regular representations, Heisenberg algebra, indefinite representations, euclidean quantum mechanics, complex gaussian processes
MSC: 81S40, 60G10, 60G15, 46C20, 47B50


text:
# Untitled Document

ITEP/TH-62/02

hep-th/0212005

Anticommutativity Equation in Topological Quantum Mechanics

Vyacheslav Lysov e-mail: sllys@gate.itep.ru

Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, 117259, Moscow, Russia

and

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Moscow, Russia

## Abstract

We consider topological quantum mechanics as an example of topological field theory and show that its special properties lead to numerous interesting relations for topological corellators in this theory. We prove that the generating function $``$ for thus corellators satisfies the anticommutativity equation $`(𝒟)^2=0`$. We show that the commutativity equation $`[dB,dB]=0`$ could be considered as a special case of the anticommutativity equation.

1. During the last two decades there has been much interest to quantum field theories whose special corellators do not depend on coordinates and metric. These theories are called topological. The most celebrated examples include Chern-Simons theory , $`N=2`$ twisted gauge theories, topological sigma models. Here we consider yet another, much simpler example of topological theory which is a subsector of supersymmetric quantum mechanics. We call it topological quantum mechanics.

An explicit construction of many topological theories is given by a BRST-like symmetry operator $`Q`$, $`Q^2=0`$ so that the energy momentum tensor of the theory has the special form

$$\begin{array}{c}T_{\mu \nu }=\{Q,G_{\mu \nu }\}\end{array}$$
(1)
where $`G_{\mu \nu }`$ is some tensor. This formula leads to many interesting corollaries. In particular, it makes corellators of $`Q`$-closed operators independent of metric and coordinates, that is topologically invariant.

In the case of one dimensional theory, the energy momentum tensor has only one component and is equal to the Hamiltonian

$$\begin{array}{c}H=T_{00}=\{Q,G_{00}\}=\{Q,G_+\}\end{array}$$
(2)
In topological quantum mechanics, the objects of study are corellators $`<\mathrm{\Phi }_{A_1}(t_1)\mathrm{}\mathrm{\Phi }_{A_n}(t_n)>`$ of $`Q`$-closed operators. They would naively depend of $`n`$ times $`t_1<\mathrm{}<t_n`$. However, since the energy momentum tensor is anticommutator of $`Q`$ and $`G_+`$, the corellator actually does not depend on $`t`$’s and is given by a factorization formula

$$\begin{array}{c}<\mathrm{\Phi }_{A_1}(t_1)\mathrm{}\mathrm{\Phi }_{A_n}(t_n)>=<0|e^{t_1H}\mathrm{\Phi }_{A_1}e^{(t_1t_2)H}\mathrm{\Phi }_{A_2}\mathrm{}e^{(t_{n1}t_n)H}\mathrm{\Phi }_{A_n}e^{t_nH}|0>=\\ lim_{(t_kt_{k1})\mathrm{}}<0|\mathrm{\Phi }_{A_1}e^{(t_1t_2)H}\mathrm{}e^{(t_{n1}t_n)H}\mathrm{\Phi }_{A_n}|0>=<\mathrm{\Phi }_{A_1}>\mathrm{}<\mathrm{\Phi }_{A_n}>\end{array}$$
(3)
It means that it is sufficient to study the corellators of one operator $`\mathrm{\Phi }_A`$ in the theory with the deformed supercharge $`Q`$

$$\begin{array}{c}QQ+\mathrm{\Phi }_AT_A=Q+\mathrm{\Phi }\end{array}$$
(4)
Later we shall see that this one-point corellator is a total derivative of $``$ on the space of coupling constants $`T_A`$

$$\begin{array}{c}_A=<\mathrm{\Phi }_A>_{\text{deformed}}=<T\left\{\mathrm{\Phi }_Ae^{{\scriptscriptstyle \{\mathrm{\Phi },G_+\}𝑑t}}\right\}>\end{array}$$
(5)
where $`T\{\mathrm{}\}`$ stands for the chronological ordering. In what follows, we carefully formulate the theory and realize that the function $``$ satisfies an interesting quadratic differential equation which we call anticommutativity equation.

2. Thus, we consider the simplest example of topological field theory, topological quantum mechanics. As usual, there is a nilpotent symmetry operator $`Q`$ and one can introduce the Hamiltonian in the form $`(2)`$. All operators act on the space $`V`$ with the following properties

$$\begin{array}{c}V=V_1V_0\\ HV_0=0,QV_0=0\\ H>0\text{on}V_1\end{array}$$
(6)
This physically means that $`V`$ is a space of states of our system, $`V_0`$ is a space of the vacuum states . We assume that the kernel $`V_0`$ of the Hamiltonian consists of $`Q`$-closed states, and all non-zero energies have strictly positive real part. In this theory we study the corellators of the form (5), which are the vacuum matrix elements, i.e. the operators from $`Hom(V_0,V_0)`$ and can be written in the following formHere we used the properties $`G_+^2=0`$ and $`G_+V_0=0`$ that allow one to interpret $`F`$ as a corellator in topological theory, but they are not necessary for our main result.

$$\begin{array}{c}F_{\alpha \beta }^{(k)}=_0^{\mathrm{}}\mathrm{}_0^{\mathrm{}}<0_\alpha |\mathrm{\Phi }G_+e^{t_1H}\mathrm{\Phi }G_+e^{t_2H}\mathrm{}\mathrm{\Phi }|0_\beta >dt_1..dt_{k1}=\\ =\frac{1}{k!}<T\left\{\mathrm{\Phi }(0)(_{\mathrm{}}^+\mathrm{}\{G_+,\mathrm{\Phi }(t)dt\})^{k1}\right\}>_{\alpha \beta }\end{array}$$
(7)
We want to represent this operator from $`Hom(V_0,V_0)`$ as an operator from $`Hom(V,V)`$. The way to do this is to insert $`\mathrm{\Pi }_0`$’s (projector on to $`V_0`$ ) at the beginning and at the end. After doing this, one finally obtains the object needed

$$\begin{array}{c}^{(k)}=_0^{\mathrm{}}.._0^{\mathrm{}}\mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }G_+e^{t_1H}\mathrm{\Phi }G_+e^{t_2H}\mathrm{}.\mathrm{\Phi }\mathrm{\Pi }_0dt_1..dt_{k1}\end{array}$$
(8)
The $`\mathrm{\Phi }(0)\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is

$$\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{\Phi }(0)=\mathrm{\Phi }=\mathrm{\Phi }_AT_A\end{array}$$
(9)
Our theory is Euclidean, which means that the evolution of $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ in time can be described by the following formula

$$\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{\Phi }(t)=e^{tH}\mathrm{\Phi }(0)e^{tH}\end{array}$$
(10)
$`\mathrm{\Pi }_0`$ being a projector onto the vacuum states. One can rewrite $`\mathrm{\Pi }_0`$ in terms of $`H`$

$$\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{\Pi }_0=lim_t\mathrm{}e^{tH}\end{array}$$
(11)
It commutes with $`Q`$. Therefore,

$$\begin{array}{c}Q\mathrm{\Pi }_0=\mathrm{\Pi }_0Q=0\\ <0_\alpha |Q=<0_\alpha |\mathrm{\Pi }_0Q=0\end{array}$$
(12)
Our operators can be both even and odd, therefore, we introduce a superalgebra to describe their properties, our coupling constants $`T_A`$ being graded too. Their algebra is

$$\begin{array}{c}\{T_A,T_B\}_s=0\end{array}$$
(13)
Where $`\{.,.\}_s`$ stands for supercommutator. In order to get interesting properties of the corellators, let us consider a special set of operators that satisfy the following algebra

$$\begin{array}{c}\{\mathrm{\Phi }_A,\mathrm{\Phi }_B\}_s=C_{AB}^K\mathrm{\Phi }_K\\ \{Q,\mathrm{\Phi }_A\}_s=0\end{array}$$
(14)
3. Algebra of operators $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ generates numerous commutation relations for $`^{(k)}`$

$$\begin{array}{c}\{^{(1)},^{(1)}\}=T_AT_BC_{AB}^K_K^{(1)}\\ 2\{^{(2)},^{(1)}\}=T_AT_BC_{AB}^K_K^{(2)}\\ 2\{^{(1)},^{(3)}\}+\{^{(2)},^{(2)}\}=T_AT_BC_{AB}^K_K^{(3)}\\ \mathrm{}\end{array}$$
(15)
which can be written in a compact form in terms of the $`Hom(V_0,V_0)`$ valued generating function $``$

$$\begin{array}{c}=^{(k)}\end{array}$$
(16)
as

$$\begin{array}{c}\{,\}=2𝒟\end{array}$$
(17)
Here we introduced the derivative $`𝒟=\frac{1}{2}T_AT_BC_{AB}^K_K`$, One can easily obtain all our corellators as derivatives of $``$. We now prove this equation in the generic case.

Let us introduce an operator-valued differential form of indefinite degree on $`R`$

$$\begin{array}{c}U=e^{tH}+G_+dte^{tH}\end{array}$$
(18)
We can check that

$$\begin{array}{c}dU+\{Q,U\}=0\end{array}$$
(19)
One can construct the differential form on $`R^{k1}`$ which takes values in $`Hom(V_0,V_0)`$ and includes $`k+1`$ $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$’s

$$\begin{array}{c}\omega ^{(k1)}=\mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }U_1\mathrm{}\mathrm{\Phi }U_k\mathrm{\Phi }\mathrm{\Pi }_0\end{array}$$
(20)
Our form is $`d`$-closed because $`Q\mathrm{\Pi }_0=\mathrm{\Pi }_0Q=0`$ and $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ anticommutes with $`Q`$

$$\begin{array}{c}d\omega ^{(k1)}=\mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }\{U_1,Q\}\mathrm{}\mathrm{\Phi }U_k\mathrm{\Phi }\mathrm{\Pi }_0..\mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }U_1\mathrm{}\mathrm{\Phi }\{U_k,Q\}\mathrm{\Phi }\mathrm{\Pi }_0=0\end{array}$$
(21)
One can consider the integral of the degree $`k1`$ component of our form over the boundary of some surface and rewrite it as an integral of $`d\omega ^{(k1)}`$ over this surface by the Stocks theorem. The surface of integration is the boundary of the $`k`$-dimensional cube. The result of integration is as follows

$$\begin{array}{c}_0^{\mathrm{}}.._0^{\mathrm{}}\mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }(\mathrm{\Pi }_01)\mathrm{\Phi }G_+e^{t_1H}\mathrm{}G_+e^{t_kH}\mathrm{\Phi }\mathrm{\Pi }_0dt_1..dt_{k1}+(perm.of\mathrm{\Pi }_01)=0\end{array}$$
(22)
The terms that include $`\mathrm{\Pi }_0`$ come from the commutator $`\{,\}`$, while the other terms come from $`T_AT_BC_{AB}^K_K`$. For our superalgebra of operators $`\mathrm{\Phi }_A`$, one can write (super)Jacobi identities in the following form

$$\begin{array}{c}C_{AB}^KC_{KD}^E=0,𝒟^2=0\end{array}$$
(23)
Our anticommutativity equation can be rewritten as the zero curvature equation

$$\begin{array}{c}\{𝒟,𝒟\}=0\end{array}$$
(24)
4. Now we can illustrate how this equation (24) works in the simplest case. Define in (15) $`^{(1)}=F_AT_A`$. Then

$$\begin{array}{c}\{F_A,F_B\}=C_{AB}^KF_K\end{array}$$
(25)
For odd operators $`\mathrm{\Phi }_A`$’s, this equation is quite nontrivial. One can see this by considering the matrix example. In the simplest case, our space of states $`V`$ is the four-dimensional vector space. The operators $`Q`$ and $`G_+`$ are $`4\times 4`$ matrices

$$\begin{array}{c}Q=\left(\begin{array}{cccc}0& 0& 0& 0\\ 1& 0& 0& 0\\ 0& 0& 0& 0\\ 0& 0& 0& 0\end{array}\right)G_+=\left(\begin{array}{cccc}0& 1& 0& 0\\ 0& 0& 0& 0\\ 0& 0& 0& 0\\ 0& 0& 0& 0\end{array}\right)H=\{Q,G_+\}=\left(\begin{array}{cccc}1& 0& 0& 0\\ 0& 1& 0& 0\\ 0& 0& 0& 0\\ 0& 0& 0& 0\end{array}\right)\end{array}$$
(26)
$`V_0`$ is the subspace of $`V`$ with first two zero coefficients. The operators $`\mathrm{\Phi }_A`$’s which satisfy commutation relation $`(15)`$ are as follows

$$\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{\Phi }_A=\left(\begin{array}{cc}\begin{array}{cc}a& 0\\ & a\end{array}& \begin{array}{cc}0& 0\\ & \end{array}\\ \begin{array}{cc}& 0\\ & 0\end{array}& F_A\end{array}\right)\end{array}$$
(27)
where stars are some numbers. When considering commutation relations on $`\mathrm{\Phi }_A`$, we are interested only in the right bottom block. It is easy to show that in this block there is anticommutator of the two right bottom blocks of $`\mathrm{\Phi }_A`$ and $`\mathrm{\Phi }_B`$. It is what we get commuting matrix elements $`F_A`$

$$\begin{array}{c}\{\mathrm{\Phi }_A,\mathrm{\Phi }_B\}=\left(\begin{array}{cc}\begin{array}{cc}& \\ & \end{array}& \begin{array}{cc}& \\ & \end{array}\\ \begin{array}{cc}& \\ & \end{array}& \{F_A,F_B\}\end{array}\right)\end{array}$$
(28)
Thus, we observe that this is only these special commutation relations of matrices $`\mathrm{\Phi }_A`$ that provide us with the similar algebra for $`F_A`$ (i.e. for the right bottom blocks).

Now we can explicitly show this for general $`V`$. Consider

$$\begin{array}{c}\{F_A,F_B\}=\mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }_A\mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }_B\mathrm{\Pi }_0+\mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }_B\mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }_A\mathrm{\Pi }_0\end{array}$$
(29)
Using formula $`(15)`$ for the projector, one arrives at the following formula

$$\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{\Pi }_0=lim_t\mathrm{}e^{tH}=lim_t\mathrm{}(t)^k\frac{H^k}{k!}=1+\left(QG_+(t)^k\frac{H^{k1}}{k!}+(t)^kG_+\frac{H^{k1}}{k!}Q\right)|_t\mathrm{}\end{array}$$
(30)
An important property of this representation is

$$\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }_AQG_+(t)^k\frac{H^{k1}}{k!}\mathrm{\Phi }_B\mathrm{\Pi }_0=0\\ \mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }_AG_+(t)^k\frac{H^{k1}}{k!}Q\mathrm{\Phi }_B\mathrm{\Pi }_0=0\end{array}$$
(31)
Hence, the only term surviving in the expression for the projector in (29) is the $`c`$-number term in (30) and

$$\begin{array}{c}\{F_A,F_B\}=\mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }_A\mathrm{\Phi }_B\mathrm{\Pi }_0+\mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }_B\mathrm{\Phi }_A\mathrm{\Pi }_0=C_{AB}^KF_K\end{array}$$
(32)
5. Our anticommutativity equation contains a commutativity equation introduced in §§§This equation is contained as the $`t`$-part in the $`tt^{}`$ equations of .  for special operators. The commutativity equation has the form

$$\begin{array}{c}[B_\mu ,B_\nu ]=0,B_\mu =\frac{B}{\tau _\mu }\end{array}$$
(33)
Indeed, consider a new odd operator $`G_{}`$ that satisfies

$$\begin{array}{c}G_{}^2=0,\{G_{},G_+\}=0,\{G_{},Q\}=0,G_{}V_0=0\end{array}$$
(34)
Consider even operators $`\mathrm{\Phi }_\mu `$ which satisfy relations (14) with $`C=0`$ and

$$\begin{array}{c}[[\mathrm{\Phi }_\mu ,G_{}],\mathrm{\Phi }_\nu ]=0\end{array}$$
(35)
Thus properties allow one to add the new odd operators $`\mathrm{\Phi }_\mu ^{}=[\mathrm{\Phi }_\mu ,G_{}]`$ to our algebra because they satisfy (14) and write $``$ in these terms. Let us introduce the two kinds of coupling constants $`T_A`$: even $`\tau _\mu `$ for odd operators $`[\mathrm{\Phi }_\mu ,G_{}]`$ and odd $`\theta _\mu `$ for even $`\mathrm{\Phi }_\mu `$.

The main object in the commutativity equations in terms of $``$ is

$$\begin{array}{c}B_\mu =\frac{}{\theta _\mu }|_{\theta =0}\end{array}$$
(36)
In fact, one can show that (34) leads to

$$\begin{array}{c}|_{\theta =0}=0,\text{hence}\\ \frac{}{\theta _\mu }\frac{}{\theta _\nu }\{,\}|_{\theta =0}=[_\mu |_{\theta =0},_\mu |_{\theta =0}]=0\end{array}$$
(37)
The equation (37) would be the commutativity equation if one demonstraates that $`B_\mu =\frac{B}{\tau _\mu }`$. It follows from the properties of $`G_{}`$

$$\begin{array}{c}B_\mu =\frac{B}{\tau _\mu }\frac{B_\nu }{\tau _\mu }=\frac{B_\mu }{\tau _\nu }\\ ..\mathrm{\Phi }_\mu G_+e^{tH}[\mathrm{\Phi }_\nu ,G_{}]\mathrm{}=..[\mathrm{\Phi }_\mu ,G_{}]G_+e^{tH}\mathrm{\Phi }_\nu \mathrm{}\end{array}$$
(38)
6. Consider the deformation of solutions to the anticommutativity equation by the variation of operator $`G_+`$ in terms of $`𝒦=\frac{G_+}{H}=_0^{\mathrm{}}G_+e^{tH}𝑑t`$ so that

$$\begin{array}{c}\{𝒦,Q\}=1\mathrm{\Pi }_0\end{array}$$
(39)
The variation of $`𝒦`$ satisfies

$$\begin{array}{c}\{\delta 𝒦,Q\}=0\delta 𝒦=[Q,Z]\end{array}$$
(40)
The variation $`\delta 𝒦`$ is exact, since $`Q`$ does not have cohomologies in $`V_1`$. We can write the variation of the solution to the anticommutativity equation and after some algebra we get

$$\begin{array}{c}\delta _𝒦=\{𝒟,_Z\}_s\end{array}$$
(41)
In (41) $`_Z`$ is obtained from the expression Schematically, $`=\mathrm{\Pi }_0\mathrm{\Phi }𝒦\mathrm{\Phi }𝒦\mathrm{}\mathrm{\Phi }𝒦\mathrm{\Phi }\mathrm{\Pi }_0`$. for $``$ in terms of $`𝒦`$ by replacing insertions of $`𝒦`$ by $`Z`$. The variation of $``$ in the form (41) is a counterpart of the gauge transformations in the zero curvature equation (24) because they retain this equation

$$\begin{array}{c}\{𝒟,𝒟\}=0\{𝒟,\delta \}=0\\ \{𝒟,\delta _𝒦\}=\{𝒟,\{𝒟,_Z\}_s\}=0\end{array}$$
(42)
The special property of commutativity equation is that $`B_\mu `$ is invariant under the variations of $`𝒦`$, it follows from (41) and (34). Actually $`|_{\theta =0}=0`$ and $`_Z|_{\theta =0}=0`$, hence the variation term linear in $`\theta `$ is

$$\begin{array}{c}\delta _𝒦B_\mu =\delta _𝒦\frac{}{\theta _\mu }|_{\theta =0}=0\end{array}$$
(43)
In the case of anticommutativity equation one generally has only two terms invariant under the variations of $`𝒦`$: $`^{(1)}`$ and $`^{(2)}`$.

Acknowledgements: The author is grateful to A. Morozov, A. Mironov and especially to A. Losev for fruitful discussions. The author also acknowledges the kind hospitality in Kaiserslautern University during the preparation of this work. This work is partly supported by grant RFBR 01-02-17682-a and by the Volkswagen-Stiftung.

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