Continuous-Representation Theory. II. Generalized Relation between Quantum and Classical Dynamics

Abstract

This paper discusses an application to the study of dynamics of the typical overcomplete, non-independent sets of unit vectors that characterize continuous-representation theory. It is shown in particular that the conventional, classical Hamiltonian dynamical formalism arises from an analysis of quantum dynamics restricted to an overcomplete, nonindependent set of vectors which lie in one-to-one correspondence with, and are labeled by, points in phase space. A generalized ``classical'' mechanics is then defined by the extremal of the quantum-mechanical action functional with respect to a restricted set of unit vectors whose c-number labels become the dynamical variables. This kind of ``classical'' formalism is discussed in some generality, and is applied not only to simple single-particle problems, but also to finite-spin degrees of freedom and to fermion field oscillators. These latter cases are examples of an important class of problems called exact, for which a study of the classical dynamics alone is sufficient to infer the correct quantum dynamics.