Mode regularization, time slicing, Weyl ordering and phase space path integrals for quantum mechanical nonlinear sigma models

Abstract

A simple, often invoked, regularization scheme of quantum mechanical path integrals in curved space is mode regularization: one expands fields into a Fourier series, performs calculations with only the first $M$ modes, and at the end takes the limit $M\to \infty$. This simple scheme does not manifestly preserve reparametrization invariance of the target manifold: particular noncovariant terms of order ${\hslash }^2$ must be added to the action in order to maintain general coordinate invariance. Regularization by time slicing requires a different set of terms of order ${\hslash }^2$ which can be derived from Weyl ordering of the Hamiltonian. With these counterterms both schemes give the same answers to all orders of loops. As a check we perform the three-loop calculation of the trace anomaly in four dimensions in both schemes. We also present a diagrammatic proof of Matthews' theorem that phase space and configuration space path integrals are equal.

15 pages, LaTeX, 25 figures

References in corpus (1)

• No saturation of the quantum Bogomolnyi bound by two-dimensional supersymmetric solitons

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