Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-quantum-condensed-matter-field-theory-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2014/paper-1/2/a/solution
Past exam of the quantum Condensed Matter Field Theory course of the University of Cambridge 2014 Paper 1 2 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
Put and . With equal endpoints , the Euclidean classical path and its action areWrite , where . Sine modes have fluctuation eigenvalues . Relative to the free-particle determinant, their Gaussian integral contributesMultiplying the free prefactor gives the Euclidean oscillator diagonal kernelIntegrating this over the common endpoint is precisely the trace. All fluctuations here are Dirichlet fluctuations about a fixed-endpoint path; periodicity is imposed on the full trace after endpoint integration.
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