Computation of determinants using contour integrals

Abstract

It is shown how the pre-exponential factor of the Feynman propagator for a large class of potentials can be computed using contour integrals. This is of direct relevance in the context of tunnelling processes in quantum theories. The prerequisites for this analysis are accessible to advanced undergraduate students and involve only introductory courses in ordinary differential equations and complex variables.

15 pages, to appear in American Journal of Physics

References in corpus (5)

• Heat-kernel coefficients of the Laplace operator on the D-dimensional ball
• Functional determinants by contour integration methods
• Functional determinants for general Sturm-Liouville problems
• The Zeta Function Method and the Harmonic Oscillator Propagator
• GENERALIZED THERMAL ZETA-FUNCTIONS

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