Time evolution of density matrices as a theory of random surfaces

Carlo Pagani; Martin Reuter

doi:10.1016/j.aop.2023.169361

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arXiv · 2212.13748

Time evolution of density matrices as a theory of random surfaces

Carlo Pagani·Martin Reuter

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Abstract

In the operatorial formulation of quantum statistics, the time evolution of density matrices is governed by von Neumann's equation. Within the phase space formulation of quantum mechanics it translates into Moyal's equation, and a formal solution of the latter is provided by Marinov's path integral. In this paper we uncover a hidden property of the Marinov path integral, demonstrating that it describes a theory of ruled random surfaces in phase space.

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Carlo Pagani, Martin Reuter. 2022-12-28. Time evolution of density matrices as a theory of random surfaces. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aop.2023.169361

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