Gaussian path integral ($\int \mathcal{D}\eta e^{i⟨\eta ,A\eta ⟩}\propto (\det A{)}^{-1}$)

A quadratic path integral becomes a product of Gaussian integrals after diagonalizing its fluctuation operator. One real coordinate per mode gives an inverse square root of the functional determinant; one complex coordinate, or two real coordinates, gives its inverse. A regulator and normalization are essential: determinant ratios are often meaningful before an absolute determinant is defined.

For a quadratic potential energy, shifting a path to its classical solution leaves an exactly quadratic fluctuation action with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. The first variation vanishes by the Euler-Lagrange equation. The Gaussian path integral prefactor is an inverse square root of a regulated functional determinant and does not depend on the endpoints. At conjugate times the ordinary formula must instead be read by distributional continuation.

On $[0,T]$ with vanishing endpoint fluctuations, the sine-mode eigenvalues are $(\pi n/T{)}^2-{\omega }^2$. Divide by the free eigenvalues and use the sine infinite product. The ratio determines the harmonic oscillator transition kernel once the free configuration-space path integral is normalized. Zeros correspond to caustics where the fluctuation operator has a zero mode.