 Operator-valued distribution

An operator-valued distribution assigns a linear operator on a common dense domain to each smooth test function of compact support $f$, continuously and linearly in the appropriate weak sense. A quantized field is generally of this type: $\varphi (x)$ is formal point notation, while the smeared $\varphi (f)$ has operator meaning. Equal-time canonical commutation relations and momentum oscillators are interpreted after smearing, which avoids treating a Dirac delta distribution or a coincident field as a finite ordinary operator. Products at coincident points can need further regularization even when individual smeared fields are defined.