Questions tagged [quantization]

Questions on various methods and aspects of quantization

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The Planck constant for mathematicians

The questions Q1. What are simple ways to think mathematically about the physical meanings of the Planck constant? Q2. How does the Planck constant appear in mathematics of quantum mechanics? In ...
Gil Kalai's user avatar
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35 votes
5 answers
5k views

Does quantum mechanics ever really quantize classical mechanics?

I was curious about a physics question which I thought might be suitable for mathoverflow. I looked at the answer to this question, but it's not what I'm looking for. Basically, classical mechanics ...
Dmitry Vaintrob's user avatar
33 votes
5 answers
8k views

How to see the Phase Space of a Physical System as the Cotangent Bundle

Two things today motivated this question. First, the professor said that in a lecture Thurston mentioned Any manifold can be seen as the configuration space of some physical system. Clearly we ...
B. Bischof's user avatar
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15 votes
0 answers
459 views

Squeezing physics out of formal deformation quantizations

I am reading various texts concerning the concept of "quantization". I am interested in quantization on Riemannian manifolds (as opposed to just on $\Bbb R ^n$); for absolute clarity, I am interested ...
Alex M.'s user avatar
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14 votes
1 answer
1k views

Coherent states vs quantization of Lagrangian submanifold

Coherent states http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coherent_states are vectors in the Hilbert space which in certain sense are strongly localized and "corresponds" to points in classical phase space (see ...
Alexander Chervov's user avatar
14 votes
0 answers
985 views

The quantization problem: modern quantization procedures and current status

The quantization problem is one of the most well-known current problems of theoretical and mathematical physics. It is also part of Hilbert's sixth problem (on the axiomatization of physics - see here ...
Math-Phys-Cat Group's user avatar
13 votes
1 answer
945 views

What are Harish-Chandra bimodules used for?

There are many recent papers on classification of Harish-Chandra bimodules for rational Cherednik algebras and, more generally, non-commutative algebras which are quantizations of symplectic ...
Yellow Pig's user avatar
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13 votes
1 answer
647 views

Reconciling two notions of geometric quantization.

Let $(M,\omega)$ be a compact symplectic manifold and $(L,\nabla)$ a prequantum line bundle. There are two schemes to quantize this data: Choose a polarization $P$ of $M$ and define the quantum ...
Eric O. Korman's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
1k views

Lagrangian Submanifolds in Deformation Quantization

Suppose I have a symplectic manifold $M$, and have a deformation quantization of it, i.e. an associative product $\ast:C(M)[[\hbar]]\otimes C(M)[[\hbar]]\to C(M)[[\hbar]]$ so that $f\ast g=fg+\{f,g\}\...
John Pardon's user avatar
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11 votes
2 answers
765 views

What are the implications of torsion in H^2 for geometric quantization?

Given a real manifold $M$ with symplectic $2$-form $\omega$, one can ask whether the cohomology class $[\omega] \in H^2(M;{\mathbb R})$ lies in the image of $H^2(M;{\mathbb Z})$. If so, one can ask ...
Allen Knutson's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
1k views

Kontsevich's formality theorem from an explicit homotopy

Suppose that $X$ is a smooth manifold, whose $C^{\infty}$-functions we denote by $A$. Let $D_{poly}^*(A):=\bigoplus_{n\geq -1}Hom(A^{\otimes n+1},A)$ be the Lie algebra of polydifferential operators ...
Jeremy Pecharich's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
890 views

Is the quantum algebra unique (up to isomorphism) in deformation quantization ?

Consider a Poisson algebra A (i.e. commutative algebra with Poisson bracket). Let $\hat A$ be a deformation quantization of the algebra A. We know that construction of deformation quantization and ...
Alexander Chervov's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

basic questions on quantum integrable systems

I have been learning about (classical) integrable systems lately, e.g. in the examples of a Lax pair etc. I frequently run into the term 'quantum integrable system'. May I ask a few questions: What ...
Qiao's user avatar
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10 votes
2 answers
995 views

Quantization of conjugacy classes in a Lie group

Let $G$ be a Lie group (and to be safe, let's assume it is semisimple). Consider the action of $G$ on itself by conjugation, and form the GIT (algebro-geometric) quotient $G/\!/G$. Then let $\pi:G\...
John Pardon's user avatar
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10 votes
0 answers
1k views

Yang-Mills theory with non-compact gauge groups G

Physicists are familiar working with Yang-Mills theory with compact and semi-simple gauge groups $G$ (Lie groups). However, it is not entirely clear the formulation of Yang-Mills theory with non-...
wonderich's user avatar
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9 votes
2 answers
532 views

Physical intuition behind Kontsevich's deformation quantization formula

Kontsevich gives a construction that produces deformation quantization of $C^\infty(M)$ for general Poisson manifolds $M$. The resulting formula (on $\mathbb{R}^n$) is $$ f\star g = \sum_{n=0}^\infty \...
lw h's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
895 views

Fedosov vs. Kontsevich deformation quantization : a beginner survey

I'm a condensed matter physicist who tries to understand the details of deformation quantization. In my self-made training, I've found two huge pieces of work, namely Fedosov, B. V. (1994). "A ...
FraSchelle's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
355 views

Geometric quantization: why are the prequantum operators self-adjoint?

I'm reading a bit about geometric quantization and, among the axioms of this construction, is one requiring that the operator $\hat f = -\textrm i \hbar \nabla _{X_f} + f$ associated to the classical ...
Alex M.'s user avatar
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9 votes
0 answers
536 views

From classical to quantum mechanics

Let ($X,\omega$) be a symplectic manifold (phase space of some physical system). Consider the algebra $\mathcal{C}^{\infty}(X,\mathbb{R})$ of smooth functions on $X$ and $[\omega]\in \textrm{H}^{2}_{\...
mathphys's user avatar
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Existence/characterization/properties of $C^*$-algebras which "are" quantization of compact symplectic manifolds?

Understanding of "quantization" achieved much progress recent years, especially after Kontsevich breakthrough on deformation quantization, where he proved one-to-one correspondence between Poisson ...
Alexander Chervov's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
592 views

Physical intuition behind prequantization spaces

Given a symplectic manifold $(M,\omega)$ with integral symplectic form, that is $$\omega \in \text{Im}(H_2(M,\mathbb{Z}) \to H_2(M,\mathbb{R})),$$ one can form a so-called prequantization space, that ...
BrianT's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
418 views

Kontsevich weights in the complex algebraic setting

In Kontsevich's Deformation quantization of Poisson manifolds, he gives an explicit formula for the star product: $$ f \star g = fg + \sum_{n=1}^\infty \hbar^n \sum_{\Gamma \in G_n} w_\Gamma B_{\Gamma}...
Earthliŋ's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
1k views

Why is geometric quantization (esp. Berezin-Toeplitz quantization) interesting for a symplectic geometer/topologist?

I know that many symplectic geometers are interested in quantization as well. From what I understood, quantization isn't expected to be used as a tool to answer symplectic questions (as in ...
7 votes
7 answers
2k views

Quantization of a classical system (e.g. the case of a billiard)

There have been already several questions asking for an introduction to quantum mechanics for a mathematician, but this one is slightly different, and more restrictive. I know (some) quantum ...
Joël's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
737 views

SL(2,C) Chern-Simons theory in genus 1

In Link, Witten claims (p. 54) that to quantize the moduli space of flat $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ connections on a torus, one can simply quantize the cotangent bundle of a real torus and take the part ...
Blake's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
675 views

Deriving the Hilbert spaces for Chern-Simons TQFTs with complex gauge group

One method for finding the Hilbert spaces corresponding to surfaces in Chern-Simons TQFT is by geometrically quantizing the phase space, which is just the character variety of the surface. I know that ...
Blake's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
3k views

What is the relation between BRST quantization and gauge fixing quantization

To quantize gauge field, one usually use gauge-fixing procedure and then plus ghost field, my question is what the relation between BRST quantization and gauge fixing quantization is? Because it seems ...
Hao Yu's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
673 views

Formal series convergence in deformation quantization and $C^*$-condition

A link between formal series convergence in deformation quantization (strict deformation quantization) and producing $C^*$-algebras instead of mere $*$-algebras (which $(\mathcal{C}^{\infty}(M)[[t]],\...
Issam Ibnouhsein's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
403 views

Kontsevich Formality sign convention

Since my question is related to sign convention, I want to define everything from the very beginning. $T_{poly}^k(M)=\Gamma(\wedge^{k+1} TM)$ are the multi vector fields with shifted degree and with ...
Heinz Doofenschmirtz's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
137 views

Could we extend the star product on a Poisson manifold from its ring of smooth functions to its de Rham complex?

Let $M$ be a smooth manifold with a Poisson bracket $\{-,-\}$. Kontsevich proved that there exists a deformation quantization of $M$, i.e. let $C^{\infty}(M)[[\hbar]]=C^{\infty}(M)\otimes_{\mathbb{R}}\...
Zhaoting Wei's user avatar
  • 8,657
6 votes
4 answers
702 views

Higgs mechanism from a deformation quantization point of view

Is it possible to describe the Higgs mechanism from a deformation quantization point of view? How would one do it? Are there aspects of the Higgs mechanism and Higgs particle which one may see clearer ...
student's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
1k views

Ambidexterity and Quantization

Here the nlab says about Hopkins-Lurie's ambidexterity paper: "The discussion in the article is apparently motivated as part of what it takes to make precise the discussion of quantization in ...
user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
792 views

1-dimensional pure gauge theory

I am learning TQFT from compact Lie groups by Freed, Hopkins, Lurie, and Teleman: https://arxiv.org/abs/0905.0731 , and got stuck very hard even in the first section ($n = 1$), which was "trivial but ...
Student's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
396 views

Does the vanishing of the Poisson bracket on $S(\mathfrak{g})^{\mathfrak{g}}$ inspire the disover of Duflo's isomorphism theorem?

For any finite dimensional Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$, we know that the universal enveloping algebra $U(\mathfrak{g})$ is a deformation of the symmetric algebra $S(\mathfrak{g})$. In fact let's define ...
Zhaoting Wei's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
387 views

The function algebra $C^{\infty}(M\#N)$ of the connected sum of two spaces

Operations such as taking union or Cartesian products of spaces have direct analogues in term of algebra of functions on them (direct sum and tensor product, respectively), my question is: Is there ...
Ali Fathi's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
259 views

graded generalization of the Moyal–Weyl product

Has anyone written about the graded generalization of the Moyal–Weyl product/star product, that is, where the original algebra is already graded? Is it just a matter of signs?
Jim Stasheff's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
230 views

Question about a remark on quantization of Coulomb branches

I will follow the definition of Coulomb branches of $3d$ $\mathcal{N}=4$ gauge theories from the paper by Braverman, Finkelberg and Nakajima, Towards a mathematical definition of Coulomb branches of 3-...
jg1896's user avatar
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6 votes
0 answers
199 views

Deformation quantization of infinite dimensional Poisson manifolds

In 1999, Karaali wrote a review of formal deformation quantization for a class she took with Weinstein. She ends the paper with the following remark: Another question that remains involves the ...
Daniel Teixeira's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
520 views

Physical meaning of the integral cohomology condition in Souriau-Kostant pre-quantization?

The question is in the title. The form of the condition looks like the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization formula of angular momentum, is there a link between the two formulas?
Issam Ibnouhsein's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
998 views

Quantization of normal distribution

For $n\in\mathbb{N}$, denote by $\mathcal{Q}_n$ the set of all probability measures on $\mathbb{R}$ that are supported on at most $n$ points. Question: Is it known which element in $\mathcal{Q}_n$ is ...
Steve's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
284 views

Absent 2nd order terms in deformation quantization of Poisson manifolds

I am reading Kontsevich' famous paper on deformation quantization of Poisson manifolds. In section 1.4.2 on page 4 he gives the general formula for the star product associated to a Poisson structure ...
miramo's user avatar
  • 515
5 votes
1 answer
452 views

Geometric quantization of Teichmuller space

The quantizations of Teichmuller space I have seen are via special coordinates (e.g. the paper of Chekhov and Fock) or conformal blocks. Does one get an equivalent quantization by geometric ...
Eric O. Korman's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
249 views

Is there any work on quantization of distributions?

Let $G$ be a Lie group and consider the space $C_c^\infty(G)$ of compactly supported complex-valued smooth functions on $G$ and $D'(G) = (C_c^\infty(G))'$ the topological dual linear space of $C_c^\...
Henrique Tyrrell's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
532 views

Isn't the quantomorphism group really just the "WKB-quantomorphism" group?

Introduction In his second-most upvoted post, called "Why quantum mechanics?" (second only to his post on fibre bundles & gauge theory) in the physics SE community, Urs Schreiber, in the setting ...
David Roberts's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
195 views

Analogue of Kontsevich's formality theorem for quantization of Courant algebroids

In his 1997 preprint, M. Kontsevich proved the formality of the differential graded algebra controlling deformations of the associative and commutative algebra of functions on a manifold, seen as an ...
thingsthatmighthavebeen's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
270 views

Deformation quantization of Poisson bracket without star-product

Kontsevich's formality theorem implies in particular that star-products on a $C^\infty$-manifold $M$, $$f\star g = fg + \sum_{k\geq1} \hbar^k B_k(f,g),\qquad f,g\in C^\infty(M),$$ where $B_k$ are ...
issoroloap's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
164 views

Distinguishing the Duflo star product

$\newcommand{\g}{\mathfrak g}\newcommand{\h}{\hbar}$ For a finite dimensional Lie algebra $\g$, he Duflo isomorphism is a complicated algebra isomorphism between the $\g$-invariant part $S(\g)^\g$ of ...
Adrien's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
146 views

Equivalence of star products on two differents Poisson algebras?

Let $A$, $B$ be two commutative and associative $\mathbb k$-algebras and let $A_\hbar:=A[[\hbar]]$, $B_\hbar:=B[[\hbar]]$ be the corresponding ring of formal series. Of sense [Deformation theory and ...
MMa's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
288 views

On the definition of ‘smooth vectors’ in Rieffel's “Deformation Quantization for Actions of $ \mathbb{R}^{d} $”.

On the first page of Chapter 1 of Rieffel's Deformation Quantization for Actions of $ \mathbb{R}^{d} $, Rieffel defines a family of seminorms on the space $ A^{\infty} $ of smooth vectors of a Fréchet ...
Leonard's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
297 views

Nonlinear ODE to linear PDE?

I am interested in when and how one can trade a non-liner ODE for a linear PDE. To explain what this could look like here is a physics-inspired discussion. Consider a classical mechanical system with ...
Weather Report's user avatar