Schwinger's Quantum Action Principle From Dirac’s Formulation Through Feynman’s Path Integrals, the Schwinger-Keldysh Method, Quantum Field Theory, to Source Theory /

• Main Author: Milton, Kimball A. (Author)
• Corporate Author: SpringerLink (Online service)
• Format: Electronic eBook
• Language: English
• Published: Cham : Springer International Publishing : Imprint: Springer, 2015.
• Series: SpringerBriefs in Physics,
• Subjects: Physics.; Mathematical physics.; Quantum physics.; Quantum Physics.; History and Philosophical Foundations of Physics.; Mathematical Applications in the Physical Sciences.; Mathematical Methods in Physics.

Starting from the earlier notions of stationary action principles, these tutorial notes shows how Schwinger’s Quantum Action Principle descended from Dirac’s formulation, which independently led Feynman to his path-integral formulation of quantum mechanics. Part I brings out in more detail the conne...

Table of Contents:

• Historical introduction
• Review of classical action principles
• Classical field theory - electrodynamics
• Quantum Action Principle
• Time-cycle or Schwinger-keldysh Formulation
• Relativistic Theory of Fields
• Nonrelativistic Source theory
• Concluding remarks.