Branched Quantization

• Main Authors: Shapere, Alfred (Author), Wilczek, Frank (Contributor)
• Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics (Contributor)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Physical Society, 2012-12-12T19:28:24Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

We propose a method for quantization of Lagrangians for which the Hamiltonian, as a function of momentum, is a branched function, possibly with cusps. Appropriate boundary conditions, which we identify, ensure unitary time evolution. In special cases a dual (canonical) transformation maps the problem into a problem of quantum mechanics on singular spaces, which we also develop. Several possible applications are indicated.
United States. Dept. of Energy (Grant DE-FG02-05ER41360)