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J. S. Dowker

Publications and source records attributed to J. S. Dowker.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Fuzzy gauge theory and non-locality

It is argued that the enlargement of the gauge group found in non-commutative gauge theory is more fundamentally thought of as a consequence of the non-locality of the construction and that it was already encountered in an earlier discussion of a non-local gauge theory.

hep-th↗

Modular properties of Eisenstein series and statistical physics

The temperature inversion properties of the internal energy, E, on odd spheres, and its derivatives, together with their expression in elliptic terms, as expounded in previous papers, are extended to the integrals of E, thence making contact with the theory of modular forms with rational period functions. I point out that the period functions of (holomorphic) Eisenstein series computed by Zagier were already available since the time of Ramanujan and I give a rederivation by contour integration. Removing both the Planck and Casimir terms gives a fully subtracted form of the series which allows a more elegant and compact treatment. I expound the relation to Eichler cohomology cocycles and also rewrite the theory in a distributional, Green function way. Some historical and technical developments of the Selberg--Chowla formula are presented, and it is suggested that this be renamed the Epstein--Kober formula. On another point of historical justice, the work of Koshliakov on Dirichlet series is reprised. A representation of a `massive' generalised Dirchlet series due to Berndt is also reproved, applied to the Epstein series and to a derivation of the standard statistical mode sum, interpreted as a Kronecker limit formula.

math-ph↗

Elliptic aspects of statistical mechanics on spheres

Our earlier results on the temperature inversion properties and the ellipticisation of the finite temperature internal energy on odd spheres are extended to orbifold factors of odd spheres and then to other thermodynamic quantities, in particular to the specific heat. The behaviour under modular transformations is facilitated by the introduction of a modular covariant derivative and it is shown that the specific heat on any odd sphere can be expressed in terms of just three functions. It is also shown that the free energy on the circle can be written elliptically.

hep-th↗

Spherical harmonics, invariant theory and Maxwell's poles

I discuss the relation between harmonic polynomials and invariant theory and show that homogeneous, harmonic polynomials correspond to ternary forms that are apolar to a base conic (the absolute). The calculation of Schlesinger that replaces such a form by a polarised binary form is reviewed. It is suggested that Sylvester's theorem on the uniqueness of Maxwell's pole expression for harmonics is renamed the Clebsch-Sylvester theorem. The relation between certain constructs in invariant theory and angular momentum theory is enlarged upon and I resurrect the Joos--Weinberg matrices. Hilbert's projection operators are considered and their generalisations by Story and Elliott are related to similar, more recent constructions in group theory and quantum mechanics, the ternary case being equivalent to SU(3).

math-ph↗

p-forms on d-spherical tessellations

The spectral properties of p-forms on the fundamental domains of regular tesselations of the d-dimensional sphere are discussed. The degeneracies for all ranks, p, are organised into a double Poincare series which is explicitly determined. In the particular case of coexact forms of rank (d-1)/2, for odd d, it is shown that the heat--kernel expansion terminates with the constant term, which equals (-1)^{p+1}/2 and that the boundary terms also vanish, all as expected. As an example of the double domain construction, it is shown that the degeneracies on the sphere are given by adding the absolute and relative degeneracies on the hemisphere, again as anticipated. The eta invariant on a fundamental domain is computed to be irrational. The spectral counting function is calculated and the accumulated degeneracy give exactly. A generalised Weyl-Polya conjecture for p-forms is suggested and verified.

math.SP↗

p-form spectra and Casimir energies on spherical tesselations

Casimir energies on space-times having the fundamental domains of semi-regular spherical tesselations of the three-sphere as their spatial sections are computed for scalar and Maxwell fields. The spectral theory of p-forms on the fundamental domains is also developed and degeneracy generating functions computed. Absolute and relative boundary conditions are encountered naturally. Some aspects of the heat-kernel expansion are explored. The expansion is shown to terminate with the constant term which is computed to be 1/2 on all tesselations for a coexact 1-form and shown to be so by topological arguments. Some practical points concerning generalised Bernoulli numbers are given.

hep-th↗

The hybrid spectral problem and Robin boundary conditions

The hybrid spectral problem where the field satisfies Dirichlet conditions (D) on part of the boundary of the relevant domain and Neumann (N) on the remainder is discussed in simple terms. A conjecture for the C_1 coefficient is presented and the conformal determinant on a 2-disc, where the D and N regions are semi-circles, is derived. Comments on higher coefficients are made. A hemisphere hybrid problem is introduced that involves Robin boundary conditions and leads to logarithmic terms in the heat--kernel expansion which are evaluated explicitly.

math.SP↗

Determinants on lens spaces and cyclotomic units

The Laplacian functional determinants for conformal scalars and coexact one-forms are evaluated in closed form on inhomogeneous lens spaces of certain orders, including all odd primes when the essential part of the expression is given, formally as a cyclotomic unit

hep-th↗

Spherical Casimir energies and Dedekind sums

Casimir energies on space-times having general lens spaces as their spatial sections are shown to be given in terms of generalised Dedekind sums related to Zagier's. These are evaluated explicitly in certain cases as functions of the order of the lens space. An easily implemented recursion approach is used.

hep-th↗

Spherical Universe topology and the Casimir effect

The mode problem on the factored 3--sphere is applied to field theory calculations for massless fields of spin 0, 1/2 and 1. The degeneracies on the factors, including lens spaces, are neatly derived in a geometric fashion. Vacuum energies are expressed in terms of the polyhedral degrees and equivalent expressions given using the cyclic decomposition of the covering group. Scalar functional determinants are calculated and the spectral asymmetry function treated by the same approach with explicit forms on one-sided lens spaces.

hep-th↗

The Barnes zeta-function, sphere determinants and Glaisher- Kinkelin-Bendersky constants

Summations and relations involving the Hurwitz and Riemann zeta-functions are extended first to Barnes zeta-functions and then to zeta-functions of general type. The analysis is motivated by the evaluation of determinants on spheres which are treated both by a direct expansion method and by regularised sums. Comments on existing calculations are made. A Kaluza--Klein technique is introduced providing a determinant interpretation of the Glaisher-Kinkelin-Bendersky constants which are then generalised to arbitrary zeta-functions. This technique allows an improved treatment of sphere determinants.

hep-th↗

Elliptic functions and temperature inversion symmetry on spheres

Finite temperature boson and fermion field theories on ultrastatic space-times with a d-sphere spatial section are discussed with one eye on the questions of temperature inversion symmetry and modular invariance. For conformally invariant theories it is shown that the total energy at any temperature for any dimension, d, is given as a power series in the d=3 and d=5 energies, for scalars, and the d=1 and d=3 energies for spinors. Further, these energies can be given in finite terms at specific temperatures associated with singular moduli of elliptic function theory. Some examples are listed and numbers given.

hep-th↗

Two simple topics in spectral theory

1.An expression for the smoothed counting function in terms of the fractional derivatives of the delta-function is presented. 2. The Neumann-Dirichlet (ND) boundary problem is introduced via some elementary examples based on a functorial relation between the ND, DD, NN and periodic boundary conditions.

hep-th↗

The N U D problem

The hybrid spectral problem where the field satisfies Dirichlet conditions (D) on part of the boundary of the relevant domain and Neumann (N) on the remainder is discussed in simple terms. A conjecture for the C_1 coefficient is presented and the conformal determinant on a 2-disc, where the D and N regions are semi-circles, is derived. Comments on higher coefficients are made.

hep-th↗

Effective actions on squashed lens spaces

As a technical exercise with possible relevance to the holographic principle and string theory, the effective actions (functional determinants) for scalars and spinors on the squashed three-sphere identified under the action of a cyclic group, Z_m, are determined. Especially in the extreme oblate squashing limit, which has a thermodynamic interpretation, the high temperature behaviour is found as a function of m. Although the intermediate details for odd and even m are different, the final answers are the same. A thermodynamic interpretation for spinors is possible only for twisted periodicity conditions and m even.

hep-th↗

Divergences in the Casimir energy

The divergence found by Nesterenko, Lambiase and Scarpetta in the Casimir energy on a semi-circular cylinder is attributed to the existence of edges.

hep-th↗