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For a Hermitian Quantum Hamiltonian, $[{\sigma }_m,{\sigma }_n{]}^{†}=-[{\sigma }_m,{\sigma }_n]$. ConsequentlySwapping $m,n$ changes the sign of the commutator, so $L_{nm}=-L_{mn}$. The generator is therefore real and antisymmetric. Its last column vanishes because the identity commutes with $H$, so $c=0$ and the traceless block satisfies $A^T=-A$.

For constant $H$, the Bloch vector evolves by $s(t)=R(t)s(0)$ with $R(t)=e^{At}$. Direct differentiation givesHence $R^{T}R=I$. Its determinant is continuously connected to one and cannot change between the two possible values $\pm 1$, so $\det R=1$. This proves that the evolution is a rotation in the special orthogonal group. A time-dependent Hermitian Quantum Hamiltonian has the same conclusion from $\dot{R}=A(t)R$.

These Hamiltonian rotations of Bloch vectors preserve the Euclidean norm and purity of a density operator. For $N>2$, not every rotation of the ambient sphere is a physical unitary conjugation: the higher-dimensional positivity constraints and full spectrum of the density operator impose further restrictions.

First fix a source convention needed for physical coordinates. The PDF's displayed definition of ${\sigma }_z$ omits a factor of $i$: half the commutator of the two Hermitian transverse matrices is anti-Hermitian and cannot supply a real Bloch coordinate. The Hermitian choice consistent with the supplied dynamical matrix isWith this convention the three Pauli expectation values use the unit-radius normalization, unlike the orthonormal coordinates of Question 2. For example, writing $K=\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& a\\ b& 0\end{array}\right)$ with $a=1+\lambda$, $b=-\lambda$, the dissipator gives rates $-(a-b{)}^2/2$ for $x$, $-(a+b{)}^2/2$ for $y$, and population equation $\dot{z}=b^2-a^2-(a^2+b^2)z$. The Quantum Hamiltonian adds $2\alpha z$ to $\dot{x}$ and $-2\alpha x$ to $\dot{z}$. This independently reproduces the supplied real Bloch dynamics.

Put $q=2\lambda +1$. Since $y$ decays independently, every steady state has $y_{\ast }=0$. The reduced steady-state equations areTheir coefficient determinant isIt is strictly positive unless $q=0$ and $\alpha =0$. Inverting this two-by-two system givesThus the reduced system has a unique steady state except at $\alpha =0$, $\lambda =-1/2$. At that exceptional point the equations reduce to $\dot{x}=0$, $\dot{z}=-z/2$, so every $(x,0)$ is stationary; physical coordinates restrict $-1\le x\le 1$.

As a consistency check on positivity in the nonsingular case,The calculated state is therefore in the unit Bloch disk. The original PDF correctly labels the second steady-state expression as $z_{\ast }$; the TeX conversion's repeated $x_{\ast }$ is another transcription defect, not a second formula for $x_{\ast }$.

Set $P_0=G$ and $P_{i+1}=P_i^p$. The permitted power-embedding result, applied repeatedly, gives $[P_i,G]\le P_{i+1}$, and each $P_i$ is a powerful p-group. These subgroups eventually reach $1$: if $P_i\ne 1$, its Frattini subgroup $P_i^p$ is proper. In fact these are the lower p-series layers, with their indices shifted by one.

For $x\in G$ and $y\in P_i$, the commutator $[y,x]$ lies in $P_{i+1}$, is central modulo $P_{i+2}$, and has exponent dividing $p$ there. The class-two collection calculation from part (iv) therefore givesApplying part (iv) inside $P_i$, whose third lower-series term is contained in $P_{i+2}$, shows that the map $y\mapsto y^p$ is onto $P_{i+1}/P_{i+2}$.

Given $a\in P_1$, first choose $x$ with $x^p\equiv a(\mathrm{mod}{P}_2)$. Suppose $x^p\equiv a(\mathrm{mod}{P}_{i+1})$. Choose $y\in P_i$ with $y^p\equiv x^{-p}a(\mathrm{mod}{P}_{i+2})$. The displayed collection congruence then gives $(xy{)}^p\equiv a(\mathrm{mod}{P}_{i+2})$. Replacing $x$ by $xy$ improves the approximation by one layer. Since the filtration on a group terminates, a finite sequence of corrections gives $x^p=a$ exactly. The reverse inclusion is the definition of $G^p$. Hence

The correspondence concerns uniform pro-p groups and powerful Lie lattices, with their natural morphisms. Put $ϵ=1$ for odd $p$ and $ϵ=2$ for $p=2$. A powerful pro-p group is a pro-p group whose closed commutator subgroup lies in its closed $p^{ϵ}$-power subgroup. It is uniform when it is topologically finitely generated and all successive indices in its lower p-series are equal. Equivalently, a finitely generated powerful pro-p group is uniform precisely when it is a torsion-free group. A powerful Lie algebra over p-adic integers means a Lie algebra over ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$ that is free of finite rank as a module and satisfiesHere a Lie algebra over a ring is a module with an alternating bilinear Lie bracket satisfying the Jacobi identity. Finite freeness is an essential part of the lattice convention. The zero-bracket module ${\mathbb{F}}_p$ satisfies the bracket inclusion but has torsion, and its additive group is not uniform. Thus allowing arbitrary torsion modules would make the categorical assertion false.

The basic structural facts behind the construction can be seen from the power layers. Write $P_n=G^{p^n}$ with $P_0=G$. Collection for a powerful pro-p group givesFor odd $p$, the power lifting is exactly the successive-correction argument of Question 3, followed by compactness; at $p=2$ the stronger fourth-power commutator condition makes the corresponding collection corrections work. The maps between successive layers are surjective linear maps. Uniformity makes their finite dimensions equal, so these maps are isomorphisms. Comparing the first layer in which two elements differ now shows that the power map $P_n\to P_{n+1}$ is injective, while the power-set formula makes it surjective. Thus all the roots used below exist uniquely in the indicated layer. If $g_1,\dots ,g_d$ lift a basis of $G/P_1$, the images of $g_i^{p^n}$ form a basis of $P_n/P_{n+1}$. Successively choosing their coefficients modulo $p$ gives the unique ordered expressionExistence follows by lifting one layer at a time and taking a limit; uniqueness follows by comparing the first nonzero coefficient layer. In particular $[G:P_n]=p^{nd}$ and these layers form a neighbourhood basis. These are the power-layer and coordinate facts needed in the proof, rather than an assumption that an arbitrary pro-p group has unique roots.

On the underlying set of $G$, set the additive zero to $1$, the additive negative of $x$ to $x^{-1}$, and defineThe p-adic integers act through limits of integer powers in the closed cyclic subgroup generated by $x$. In the second formula the product belongs to $P_n$; in the third the group commutator belongs to $P_{2n+ϵ}$. The symbols $p^{-n}$ and $p^{-2n}$ denote the unique group roots, not unrestricted division in a group. We next justify convergence and the Lie algebra laws together.

A useful concrete tool is a complete normed group algebra containing $G$. In its completed group algebra, put $b_i=g_i-1$. Ordered-coordinate uniqueness gives unique expansions ${\sum }_{\alpha \in {\mathbb{N}}^d}{c}_{\alpha }{b}_1^{{\alpha }_1}\cdots b_d^{{\alpha }_d}$ with $c_{\alpha }\in {\mathbb{Z}}_p$. To see why, first work modulo $p$ and $P_n$: the ordered products of the $g_i$ with exponents below $p^n$ form the regular basis, and the change to the corresponding products of $g_i-1$ is triangular with diagonal entries one. Take inverse limits and then lift the coefficient digits successively in powers of $p$. Define the weightIt is a genuine separated, submultiplicative weight. Indeed reordering $b_j{b}_i$ produces a group-commutator correction in $P_{ϵ}$; the binomial expansion of a $p^{ϵ}$th power gives that correction weight at least $2ϵ$, so collection never decreases total weight. Also $v(pc)=1+v(c)$. Inverting $p$ and completing therefore gives a Banach algebra $B$ over ${\mathbb{Q}}_p$. For $g\in G$, ordered coordinates showwith value infinity at $g=1$. Thus the induced topology on $G$ is exactly its original topology. This construction supplies the ambient algebra without presupposing the uniform pro-p group and powerful Lie lattice correspondence. The weighted construction, including the case $p=2$, is described in Equivariant D-modules on rigid analytic spaces, Section 6.5.

Since $ϵ>1/(p-1)$, the p-adic logarithm and p-adic exponential converge on the relevant balls in $B$:The estimates $v_p(k!)\le k/(p-1)$ and $v_p(k)\le {\log }_{p}k$ show that term weights tend to infinity. Formal substitution is legitimate there and proves that the two maps are inverse. They preserve the leading weight. In particular $\log$ embeds the compact set $G$ homeomorphically into $B$, and $\log (g^{p^n})=p^n\log g$.

Put $a=\log x$ and $b=\log y$. Expanding the convergent Baker--Campbell--Hausdorff formula in $B$ givesThe first expansion has linear part $p^n(a+b)$ and all other terms have degree at least two in $p^{n}a,p^{n}b$. The second has leading term $p^{2n}(ab-ba)$ and all remaining terms have degree at least three. After division by the displayed powers of $p$, the extra factor of $p^n$ forces those errors to zero. The normalized expressions are logarithms of the unique roots already specified. Since $\log G$ is compact and closed in $B$, both limits belong to $\log G$. Scalar multiplication also remains in $\log G$ by continuity of powers. Consequently $\log G$ is a module over ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$, closed under the associative-algebra Lie bracket $ab-ba$. Bilinearity, alternation and the Jacobi identity follow by expanding products in the associative algebra $B$. Transporting these operations back gives exactly $L_G$ above.

The commutator-layer inclusion places every normalized bracket root in $P_{ϵ}$. Since $\log P_{ϵ}=p^{ϵ}\log G$ and this set is compact, passage to the limit proves $[L_G,L_G]\subseteq p^{ϵ}{L}_G$. Addition modulo $p{L}_G$ is the original multiplication modulo $P_1$: collection shows $(x^{p^n}{y}^{p^n}{)}^{p^{-n}}\equiv xy(\mathrm{mod}{P}_1)$, as the nonlinear errors lie at least one layer deeper. Thus $L_G/p{L}_G$ has dimension $d$, with basis $e_i=\log g_i$. Given $a\in \log G$, write its residue as ${\sum }_i{\lambda }_{0i}{e}_i$ and repeat on $(a-{\sum }_i{\lambda }_{0i}{e}_i)/p$. This iterative digit lifting converges because the remainders stay in the bounded compact set $\log G$. It gives $a={\sum }_i{\lambda }_i{e}_i$ with ${\lambda }_i\in {\mathbb{Z}}_p$. A nontrivial relation among the $e_i$ could be divided by the smallest power of $p$ among its coefficients, contradicting their independence modulo $p$. Hence $L_G$ is free of rank $d$, proving that it is a powerful Lie lattice.

Conversely, let $L$ be a powerful Lie lattice. In $L{\otimes }_{{\mathbb{Z}}_p}{\mathbb{Q}}_p$, defineThe formal Baker--Campbell--Hausdorff formula and its coefficient estimate are the algebraic ingredients used here. More precisely, the degree-$m$ component can be expressed as an integral Lie polynomial divided by a number of $p$-adic valuation at most $\lfloor (m-1)/(p-1)\rfloor$. One way to obtain this estimate is to bound the associative coefficients of $\log (\exp X\exp Y)$ and use an integral ordered basis of the free Lie algebra. The denominator bound $v_p(m!)+\lfloor {\log }_p{s}_p(m)\rfloor$, where $s_p(m)$ is the base-$p$ digit sum, is at most $\lfloor (m-1)/(p-1)\rfloor$. A precise primary reference for that denominator estimate is Smallest common denominators for the homogeneous components of the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff series. A length-$m$ Lie bracket in $L$ lies in $p^{ϵ(m-1)}L$. Thus the degree-$m$ term belongs toThese exponents are nonnegative and tend to infinity; for $m\ge 2$ they are at least one. This proves integral convergence, continuity and $x\ast y\equiv x+y(\mathrm{mod}pL)$. Associativity follows from the formal identity $\exp (\mathrm{BCH}(X,Y))=\exp X\exp Y$ in the completed universal enveloping algebra. Substitution of three elements is justified by the same valuation estimates, so the two associative expressions agree. The identity is $0$, the inverse is $-x$, and $x^{\ast k}=kx$ because every nonlinear term involving only $x$ vanishes.

For powerfulness, formal conjugation givesThe difference $\delta =y-e^{-\mathrm{ad}x}y$ lies in $p^{ϵ}L$: its $k$th term has valuation at least $kϵ-v_p(k!)\ge ϵ$ for $k\ge 1$. The group commutator is therefore $(-y+\delta )\ast y$. Its linear term is $\delta$. Every nonlinear Lie term contains $\delta$, since it vanishes when $\delta =0$, and the extra divisibility makes all those terms lie in $p^{ϵ}L$ too. Hence $[(L,\ast ),(L,\ast )]\subseteq p^{ϵ}L$. The ideals $p^{n}L$ are open normal subgroups for $\ast$, and their finite quotients have order $p^{nd}$. The group is consequently a pro-p group. Its power sets are exactly $p^{n}L$, its lower-series indices are constantly $p^d$, and a basis of $L$ topologically generates it by the same successive digit lifting. The BCH group $(L,\ast )$ is uniform.

To check the inverse constructions, powers in the Baker--Campbell--Hausdorff formula group are ordinary multiples in $L$. Thereforeand the similarly normalized group commutator tends to $[x,y]$. The limit constructions recover the original Lie algebra exactly. In the other direction, the ambient Banach algebra construction gives $\log (xy)=\mathrm{BCH}(\log x,\log y)$, so the recovered operation is the original multiplication of $G$.

Finally a continuous group homomorphism between uniform pro-p groups preserves integer powers and powers with exponents in the p-adic integers, preserves the unique roots in the power layers, and commutes with their limits. It therefore becomes a linear Lie algebra homomorphism. Conversely a linear Lie algebra homomorphism between finite free modules is continuous and preserves every term of the convergent Baker--Campbell--Hausdorff formula, hence is a continuous group homomorphism for $\ast$. The constructions preserve identity maps and composition, and the inverse identifications are natural. They are mutually inverse functors, giving the stated category correspondence with the finite-free lattice convention.

First consider finite-dimensional Lie algebra representations. The operators representing an abelian Lie algebra commute. They have a common eigenvector: take an eigenspace for the first operator of a basis of the algebra, observe that every remaining operator preserves it, and repeat inside this nonzero space. The resulting line is an invariant subspace, so an irreducible representation must be one-dimensional. Its action has the form $xv=\lambda (x)v$ for a linear functional $\lambda$. Conversely, every such functional defines a Lie algebra representation, since both the Lie brackets in the algebra and the commutators of its scalar operators vanish. Distinct functionals give nonisomorphic representations. Thus the irreducibles are precisely the characters $\lambda \in {\mathfrak{g}}^{\ast }$.

Even without a finite-dimensional assumption on the module, this conclusion for a finite-dimensional abelian Lie algebra follows from the Weak Hilbert Nullstellensatz: its universal enveloping algebra is the polynomial algebra $\mathrm{Sym}(\mathfrak{g})$. A simple module over a commutative algebra is its quotient by a maximal ideal, and every maximal ideal of this polynomial algebra over $\mathbb{C}$ has residue field $\mathbb{C}$.

Indecomposable does not imply irreducible. For the one-dimensional abelian Lie algebra $\mathbb{C}x$, let $x$ act on ${\mathbb{C}}^2$ by the Nilpotent Jordan blockThe line spanned by the first coordinate vector is an invariant subspace, so the module is reducible. If it were a direct sum of two nonzero submodules, both would have dimension one; nilpotence would force $N$ to act as zero on both, contrary to $N\ne 0$. Thus it is an indecomposable representation.

For a finite-dimensional module $V$, put $d=\dim V$ and define its generalized weight spaces intrinsically byTo obtain the decomposition, choose a basis $x_1,\dots ,x_r$ of $\mathfrak{g}$, split into generalized eigenspaces of $\rho (x_1)$, and successively split each piece by $\rho (x_2),\dots ,\rho (x_r)$. All the pieces are submodules because the acting operators commute. On one resulting piece, $\rho (x_j)$ has a unique eigenvalue ${\lambda }_j$. The commuting operators can be simultaneously upper triangularized by repeating the common-eigenvector argument on quotients. Hence on this piece every $\rho (x_j)-{\lambda }_{j}I$ is strictly upper triangular. Any linear combination is also strictly upper triangular, and its $d$th power vanishes. Extending ${\lambda }_j$ linearly therefore identifies the piece with $V^{\lambda }$. Different tuples give disjoint pieces; if a component has a different tuple from $\lambda$, at least one $\rho (x_j)-\lambda (x_j)I$ is invertible there. Consequentlywith only finitely many nonzero summands. Since the definition uses every $x$ rather than a chosen basis, this generalized-weight decomposition for a nilpotent Lie algebra is canonical. Its summands need not be irreducible, as the Jordan block example already shows.

Use a common invariant operator domain on which the stated differentiations and commutator are valid. For a differentiable normalized eigenfunction, the Hellmann-Feynman calculation and self-adjointness giveThe Lax equation preserves the spectrum. Differentiating $Lf=\lambda f$ now gives $(L-\lambda )(f_t+Af)=0$, so $f_t+Af$ is in the same eigenspace, or is zero. For a nondegenerate eigenvalue it equals $c(t,\lambda )f$. Multiplying $f$ by $\exp [-\int c(t,\lambda )dt]$ produces $\hat{f}$ with ${\hat{f}}_t+A\hat{f}=0$ while preserving its eigenvalue.

Write $b=u_x+a_0$ and $d=u-\lambda +a_1$. The spatial eigenvalue equation gives ${\hat{f}}_{xx}=(u-\lambda )\hat{f}$, so $A\hat{f}=b\hat{f}+d{\hat{f}}_x$. For $F=(\hat{f},{\hat{f}}_x{)}^T$ the two first-order systems are thereforeThe second row of $V$ follows by differentiating the first time equation in $x$ and using the spatial equation once more. Conversely these matrix equations imply both scalar equations, so the formulations are equivalent.

Putting the unit vector along a coordinate axis gives ${\sigma }_i^2=I$. Putting it along $(e_i+e_j)/\sqrt{2}$ gives ${\sigma }_i{\sigma }_j+{\sigma }_j{\sigma }_i=0$ for $i\ne j$. Combining the resulting anticommutators with the given commutators yields ${\sigma }_i{\sigma }_j={\delta }_{ij}I+i{ϵ}_{ijk}{\sigma }_k$, and henceThe operators $S_i=(\hslash /2){\sigma }_i$ obey angular-momentum commutators and ${\mathbf{S}}^2=3{\hslash }^{2}I/4$, the spin-one-half value. In a spin-half irreducible sector they are the intrinsic spin operators; the algebra also permits direct sums of such sectors.

Since $Q=\mathbf{n}\cdot \mathbf{\sigma }$ is Hermitian with $Q^2=I$, its operators $P_{\pm }=(I\pm Q)/2$ are Hermitian and satisfy $P_{\pm }^2=P_{\pm }$, $P_{+}{P}_{-}=0$ and $P_{+}+P_{-}=I$. Moreover $Q{P}_{\pm }=\pm P_{\pm }$. Thus $|\chi ⟩=P_{+}|\chi ⟩+P_{-}|\chi ⟩$ is its orthogonal eigenstate decomposition, omitting any zero component. The Born probabilities for a normalized state areFor spin up along $\mathbf{m}$, the anticommutator $\{\mathbf{m}\cdot \mathbf{\sigma },{\sigma }_j\}=2m_{j}I$ gives $⟨{\sigma }_j⟩=m_j$. Therefore the probability of spin up along $\mathbf{n}$ is $(1+\mathbf{n}\cdot \mathbf{m})/2$.

Let ${\mathrm{ad}}_A(B)=[A,B]$. Differentiating both exponentials and using that $A$ commutes with $e^{\lambda A}$ givesApplying the same calculation repeatedly gives $F^{(n)}(\lambda )=e^{\lambda A}{\mathrm{ad}}_A^n(B)e^{-\lambda A}$. Its Taylor series at zero, evaluated at one, proves the commutator expansion for exponential conjugationFor bounded operators the series converges in operator norm by the bound $(2\Vert A\Vert {)}^n\Vert B\Vert$. The quantum computations below hold on a common invariant domain, such as Schwartz functions, with the commutator series either terminating or closing on a finite-dimensional span.

Use the canonical commutation relations $[\hat{x},\hat{p}]=i\hslash$ and the Heisenberg picture $\hat{B}(t)=e^{itH/\hslash }\hat{B}{e}^{-itH/\hslash }$. For the first Hamiltonian,All further relevant commutators vanish, soThe explicit energy check isThe scalar shifts commute with all operators, so there is no ordering ambiguity.

For the two-dimensional system put $L={\hat{x}}_1{\hat{p}}_2-{\hat{x}}_2{\hat{p}}_1$ and $V=-\beta L$. Direct commutation gives $[L,{\hat{p}}_1]=i\hslash {\hat{p}}_2$, $[L,{\hat{p}}_2]=-i\hslash {\hat{p}}_1$. Thus the Heisenberg equations of motion are ${\dot{\hat{p}}}_1=\beta {\hat{p}}_2$, ${\dot{\hat{p}}}_2=-\beta {\hat{p}}_1$, whose solution, equivalently the resummed commutator series, isExpanding both squares cancels their cross terms and gives ${\hat{p}}_1(t{)}^2+{\hat{p}}_2(t{)}^2={\hat{p}}_1^2+{\hat{p}}_2^2$.

In the interaction picture generated by $H_0$, $[H_0,{\hat{x}}_i]=-i\hslash {\hat{p}}_i$ and $[H_0,{\hat{p}}_i]=0$. The terminating expansion therefore gives ${\overline{x}}_i(t)={\hat{x}}_i+t{\hat{p}}_i$. Also $[H_0,L]=0$, either by the momentum-square calculation or by direct commutation. Conjugating ${\overline{x}}_i$ by $e^{itV/\hslash }$ rotates position and momentum by the same matrix, since $[L,{\hat{x}}_1]=i\hslash {\hat{x}}_2$ and $[L,{\hat{x}}_2]=-i\hslash {\hat{x}}_1$. Hence

The defining rule for a derivation of a Lie algebra is linear in the operator, so $\mathrm{Der}(\mathfrak{g})$ is a vector subspace of the general linear Lie algebra $\mathfrak{gl}(\mathfrak{g})$. Its Lie bracket is the operator commutator. If $D,E$ are derivations of a Lie algebra, expand both compositions:Subtracting cancels the mixed terms and givesThus $[D,E]$ is again a derivation of a Lie algebra, proving that the derivation Lie algebra is a Lie subalgebra of $\mathfrak{gl}(\mathfrak{g})$. This calculation works in every characteristic of a field.

The Jacobi identity states $[x,[y,z]]=[[x,y],z]+[y,[x,z]]$. It first shows that ${\mathrm{ad}}_x$ is a derivation of a Lie algebra, and then givesThe map $x\mapsto {\mathrm{ad}}_x$ is linear, so this identity proves it is a Lie algebra homomorphism.

Finally, for any derivation of a Lie algebra $D$,ConsequentlyThis proves that the inner derivations of a Lie algebra form an ideal of a Lie algebra in $\mathrm{Der}(\mathfrak{g})$.

Use ${\eta }_{\mu \nu }=\mathrm{diag}(1,-1,-1,-1)$ and $\hslash =c=1$. In the interaction picture, fields evolve with the free Hamiltonian, while interactions enter the state evolution through the Dyson series. Write the Klein-Gordon field as $\varphi ={\varphi }^{(+)}+{\varphi }^{(-)}$, with the positive-frequency part of a quantum field containing annihilation operators and ${\varphi }^{(-)}=({\varphi }^{(+)}{)}^{†}$ containing creation operators. The mode normalization in the PDF corresponds to $[a_{\mathbf{p}},a_{\mathbf{q}}^{†}]=(2\pi {)}^3{\delta }^3(\mathbf{p}-\mathbf{q})$ and $E_{\mathbf{p}}=\sqrt{|\mathbf{p}{|}^2+m^2}$.

The time-ordered product places fields with the latest time on the left. For two bosonic insertions,The normal-ordered product $:\varphi (x_1)\cdots \varphi (x_n):$ instead moves every creation operator to the left of every annihilation operator, without adding the commutators generated by that rearrangement. Its vacuum expectation value is zero whenever a nonempty set of free-field factors remains.

The mode commutator gives the positive-frequency Wightman functionDefine the Feynman propagator here to be the two-point function itself, rather than that function divided by $i$. ThenEquivalently,The positive-energy pole is below and the negative-energy pole above the real axis. Closing the energy contour integral below for positive time separation and above for negative time separation gives the two terms above. Thus this is the scalar Feynman propagator pole prescription, and $(\square +m^2){\Delta }_F=-i{\delta }^4$. In particular, $T\{\varphi (x)\varphi (y)\}=:\varphi (x)\varphi (y):+{\Delta }_F(x-y)$: the difference between time ordering and normal ordering is the Wick contraction.

For $n$ free bosonic fields, the Wick theorem stateswhere $P$ runs over all sets of disjoint pairs of indices, including the empty set, and $V(P)$ is the set of paired indices. The empty normal-ordered product equals one. This is an operator identity for free fields, understood with smearing or a regulator when products of operator-valued distributions require it.

Here is an inductive proof of the scalar Wick theorem. Sort the arguments chronologically so that $x_1^0$ is the latest. For any remaining set $I$, commuting the annihilation part of ${\varphi }_1$ through the creation parts in a normal-ordered product givesThe creation part of ${\varphi }_1$ is already in the correct position. Every commutator on the right is a scalar, so no further operator rearrangement is needed for it. Because $x_1$ is latest, that commutator is ${\Delta }_F(x_1-x_j)$. Assume the Wick theorem for the other $n-1$ fields and multiply its expansion by ${\varphi }_1$. The first term of the displayed identity gives every pairing in which index 1 is unpaired; the sum gives every pairing in which 1 is paired with exactly one $j$. Each final partial pairing has exactly one such construction. The one-field identity supplies the base case, proving the theorem by mathematical induction. Applying time ordering restores arbitrary argument order.

Taking the vacuum expectation value retains only complete pairings. Odd free correlators vanish; for example the free scalar four-point function is ${\Delta }_{12}{\Delta }_{34}+{\Delta }_{13}{\Delta }_{24}+{\Delta }_{14}{\Delta }_{23}$. These facts explain why propagators are the edges of Feynman diagrams.

For the interacting quartic scalar field theory, the interaction Hamiltonian density is $\lambda {\varphi }^4/4!$. With a single time ordering acting on external insertions and interaction vertices, the unnormalized numerator expands asApply the proved Wick theorem term by term. Each complete pairing connects external insertions and four-legged vertices by Feynman propagators. There are $4!$ assignments of four distinct incident legs at a vertex, canceling its factorial. Permuting identical integrated vertices cancels the corresponding part of $v!$. Permutations still leaving the labeled graph unchanged give its Feynman-diagram symmetry factor. For example,whereas the two-point tadpole diagram has coefficient $-i\lambda /2$, because choosing the two vertex legs contracted with the labeled external fields gives $4\cdot 3$ possibilities and the other two contract with each other.

Thus the position-space rules attach ${\Delta }_F$ to every edge, $-i\lambda \int d^{4}z$ to every four-legged interaction vertex, and divide by the graph's Feynman-diagram symmetry factor. Fourier transformation gives the momentum-space Feynman rules:Enforce momentum conservation at each vertex, retaining the overall four-momentum delta function. External lines of these correlation functions remain unamputated. The unnormalized expression includes Vacuum Feynman diagrams; dividing by $N_0=⟨0|S|0⟩$ cancels those disconnected vacuum factors. They should not be discarded without that normalization.

There is a time-ordering convention in the printed correlation-function notation worth making explicit. The usual interacting correlator uses the single global time ordering in $N_n$ above. If the displayed $T\{{\varphi }_1\cdots {\varphi }_n\}S$ is read literally with $S$ outside that ordering, the external block and the vertex block are separately time ordered: their cross-contractions are $D^{+}(x_i-z)$ because each external field stands to the left of every vertex field. The same pairing construction then uses ${\Delta }_F$ for lines within either block and $D^{+}$ for lines between blocks; in momentum space the latter is $2\pi \theta (p^0)\delta (p^2-m^2)$. This literal product is different from the conventional globally time-ordered interacting correlator, and does not have the ordinary external Feynman propagators derived above.

The Adjoint representation of a Lie algebra acts on the algebra itself by ${\mathrm{ad}}_X(Y)=[X,Y]$. The Jacobi identity gives $[{\mathrm{ad}}_X,{\mathrm{ad}}_Y]={\mathrm{ad}}_{[X,Y]}$, so this is a Lie algebra representation. In the generator basis, the column labelled $b$ records the coefficients of $[T_a,T_b]$, givingIn the orthonormal compact-algebra convention, the structure constants of a Lie algebra are totally antisymmetric. With the row index written first this is $(t_a^{\mathrm{Ad}}{)}_{bc}=-i{f}_{abc}$.

Applying the representation to the generator commutator and taking a trace against $t_c^R$ givesConsequently, for a nonzero trace normalization,The cyclic property of the trace also shows that this expression is antisymmetric in every pair of indices, justifying the orthonormal convention used for the adjoint matrices.

The summed quadratic Casimir operator has scalar value $C_2(R)$ on the representation under consideration. Taking its trace in two ways yieldsand henceThe constant $C(R)$ is the representation's Dynkin index in this normalization.

Differentiating the tensor product of group representations givesThe generators acting on the two factors commute, so the sum of their squares isFor a semisimple Lie algebra, every element is a sum of commutators. Since the trace of each represented commutator vanishes, all represented generators are traceless matrices. The trace of the cross term is therefore zero. Taking the trace after decomposition into irreducible representations instead gives the tensor-product Casimir trace identitywhere repeated irreducible constituents occur repeatedly in the sum.

This step requires tracelessness, as holds for the special unitary groups used below. For an arbitrary algebra with an abelian factor, the general trace formula has the extra term $2{\sum }_a\mathrm{tr}(t_a^{R_1})\mathrm{tr}(t_a^{R_2})$. For example, one-dimensional representations of an abelian generator with charges one and one have individual Casimirs one, while the product generator has charge two and Casimir four. Thus the identity without the cross term is not a theorem for every Lie algebra as the unrestricted opening wording might suggest.

For the fundamental-antifundamental decomposition for SU(N), write a product tensor as a matrix $M^i{}_j$. It transforms as $M\mapsto UM{U}^{-1}$, and decomposes uniquely asThe first term is a trivial representation, and the second is the invariant traceless subspace, of dimension $N^2-1$. Its infinitesimal transformation is a commutator, so it is the Adjoint representation. This representation is irreducible for $N\ge 2$: an invariant subspace is an ideal of ${\mathfrak{sl}}_N$; commuting a nonzero ideal element with diagonal and elementary matrices produces off-diagonal elementary matrices, whose further commutators generate all off-diagonal matrices and traceless diagonal matrices. A purely diagonal nonzero element also produces an off-diagonal element unless it is scalar, and a traceless scalar in characteristic zero is zero. ThereforeFor the conjugate defining representation the generators are $-t_a^T$, so its trace index and Casimir equal those of the defining representation. With $C(\mathbf{N})=1/2$, the trace formula gives $C_2(\mathbf{N})=(N^2-1)/(2N)$. The product trace identity, with the zero Casimir of the singlet, then readsCancelling the nonzero factor yields