The centre-of-mass coordinates areDifferentiation and cancellation of cross terms givesInsert this into the supplied kinetic energy and subtract the gravitational potential . Thus
The lower mass has coordinates . Its squared speed is . Adding the bead's kinetic energy gives the kinetic part of the supplied Lagrangian. Equal spring prestresses give spring energy up to a constant: the two squared extensions are proportional to . The gravitational potential is . Thus has exactly the stated form, with constant energy offsets discarded.
Since has no explicit time dependence, the conserved energy isThe two Euler–Lagrange equations areAt equilibrium, and . There are two geometrically distinct positions, modulo . The downward one has positive potential Hessian and is stable; the inverted one has a negative angular curvature and is unstable.
Keeping only quadratic terms about the downward equilibrium givesFor unit parameters, the mass and stiffness matrices are and . The equation is . Therefore the normal angular frequencies are
Euler's momentum equation is . For irrotational flow , integration gives the Unsteady Bernoulli equation . On the zero-pressure surface , linearization gives . Differentiate with respect to to remove the spatially constant term, giving . These are the cross-sectionally averaged shallow-water approximations encoded in the stated assumptions.
Differentiate the mass equation in time and use the momentum equation to getFor this is . A time-harmonic amplitude satisfies . Write to obtainSpatially oscillating waves therefore occur exactly when the coefficient is positive:Below threshold the solutions have real exponential spatial factors and are evanescent rather than propagating; equality gives the zero-wavenumber threshold. For a concrete outgoing wave let . Then obeys the oscillating boundary condition, and follows from mass conservation. The phase moves into .
Past exam of the quantum condensed matter course of the University of Cambridge 2004 Section C C14 Solution Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
Semiconductor doping introduces electrically active impurities. In gallium arsenide, silicon has one more valence electron than gallium but one fewer than arsenic. Silicon on a gallium site can therefore supply a shallow donor electron, while silicon on an arsenic site can accept an electron and leave a mobile hole. It is an amphoteric dopant, so its net effect depends on site occupation and growth conditions.[ref]
Thermal equilibrium concentrations of the amphoteric dopant Si and the associated carrier concentrations in GaAs by Chang-Ho Chen and others. 1999 abstract: neutral and ionized donors on Ga sites and acceptors on As sites
For isotropic parabolic bands, shift the energy origin in the given free-electron density of states to the appropriate band edge and use its effective mass:and, for valence electron states,The stated normalization includes the two spin states and assumes one effective valley. In a nondegenerate semiconductor, the conduction occupation is approximately and the probability of a valence hole is approximately . Substituting in the first integral, and the corresponding hole energy in the second, giveswhere the effective density of states values are and . The factor comes from the supplied Gaussian-weighted integral. Multiplying cancels the shared thermodynamic equilibrium chemical potential and proves the semiconductor mass-action law:For the given sample and . With complete donor ionization and occupied acceptors, charge neutrality gives . At the given masses and gap giveSolving the compensated semiconductor equations, or using , yieldsThe very small minority density is consistent with the wide gap and the strongly n-type balance. Also and , checking the nondegenerate approximation. The acceptor levels are occupied in this n-type regime; complete acceptor ionization in the compensation equation is appropriate to the model.
At low temperature dopant freeze-out reduces the conduction-electron population; a quantitative curve would require dopant binding energies and occupation factors. Once donors are ionized while intrinsic excitation is negligible, gives an extrinsic plateau. At higher temperature intrinsic pairs eventually dominate, so if the gap and masses are treated as constant. Real gap and mass changes modify that last expression.
Past exam of the quantum condensed matter course of the University of Cambridge 2014 1 a Solution Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
Use a representative conduction-electron density , roughly one mobile electron per atom in a dense metal, and the bare electron mass for this estimate. The plasma frequency is thenThis is an order-of-magnitude answer because no particular metal or carrier density is specified. It corresponds to an ordinary frequency , excitation energy , and free-space wavelength near .
The physical oscillation is collective motion of the electron gas against the positive ionic background. Displacing the electrons relative to the ions produces a restoring electric field. In the simplest uniform-displacement picture, : the frequency increases with the density of mobile electric charge and decreases with carrier inertia. Quantizing this longitudinal collective oscillation gives a plasmon.
The same scale controls the ideal collisionless Drude model optical response. Its cold collisionless plasma dielectric response is . Below , the negative relative permittivity makes a transverse electromagnetic wave evanescent, producing strong reflection; above it, the ideal model admits propagation. Real-metal collisions, interband photon absorption and background polarization modify this simple optical edge. Thus is a collective charge-response scale, not a single-electron scattering rate or a sharp transparency threshold for every real metal.
Past exam of the quantum condensed matter course of the University of Cambridge 2014 2 b Solution 2026-10-18
The Drude model treats mobile electric charge carriers as independent particles with density , signed electric charge , isotropic mass , and momentum relaxation time . In uniform steady fields,At zero magnetic field the drift velocity is , giving electrical conductivity and electrical resistivityThe electrical conductivity is positive for either carrier sign. Scattering dissipates directed drift energy into the environment; a finite steady electric current is compatible with a short-lived drift momentum. The independent-carrier relaxation-time approximation omits detailed band anisotropy, quantum interference and microscopic collision correlations.
For electric current along and magnetic field , the magnetic force deflects carriers toward one side of the sample. electric charge accumulates until a transverse Hall field cancels that force in an open transverse circuit. With , , soElectrons have negative in this convention, whereas positive carriers have positive . For a strip of thickness along , the magnitude of the Hall electric potential difference across its width is . Thus Hall measurements determine carrier sign and, within this one-carrier model, density, while combining with determines charge carrier mobility .
Keeping both in-plane electric current components, the resistivity tensor isThis fixes the off-diagonal sign convention and shows that inversion is not componentwise reciprocation. Under the Hall boundary condition , the ideal one-carrier isotropic model gives , independent of magnetic field: there is no ordinary longitudinal magnetoresistance in this minimal model. Multiple carrier types or anisotropic bands can change both this conclusion and the simple inference. Their electrical conductivity must be added before inverting to obtain the total electrical resistivity.
Past exam of the quantum condensed matter course of the University of Cambridge 2016 3 Solution Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
mass as band curvature. In a periodic potential, a weakly forced electron is usefully described by a wave packet confined to one energy band. Its group velocity isDifferentiating the velocity givesThis effective-mass tensor describes the band response, not a change of the electron's bare rest mass. Along a principal direction, a steep upward curvature gives a small positive mass and a flatter curvature a larger one. Near a band maximum the electron curvature and effective mass are negative; the corresponding missing-electron description uses positive electron hole masses. Anisotropy produces distinct principal masses, and strong nonparabolicity makes them momentum dependent. The single-band semiclassical description assumes fields weak and slowly varying enough to avoid substantial interband transitions.
Lattice symmetry and Bloch's theorem. Use the active spatial translation operator . A lattice-periodic scalar potential satisfies , while the kinetic term is translation invariant. Therefore . The lattice translations also commute with one another, so they can be diagonalized simultaneously with , including within a degenerate energy subspace.
For a common eigenstate, write . Unitarity gives , and the group law gives . On primitive Bravais vectors , choose . Every lattice vector is an integer combination of these generators, henceThe vector is defined modulo a reciprocal lattice vector. The band index labels the different energy eigenstates with the same translation character. Define . The phase factors cancel under a lattice translation, proving Bloch's theorem in its usual form:This is the Translation-character proof of Bloch theorem; the commutator guarantees a basis of such states, even when an arbitrary superposition of different translation characters is not itself a translation eigenstate.
Periodic Hamiltonian. Acting once with momentum gives . Applying it again and cancelling the common plane-wave factor yieldsThe Bloch Hamiltonian acts on lattice-periodic functions in a unit cell. Expanding its square separates a zero-momentum Hamiltonian, a term linear in and an identity term quadratic in .
Expansion about the zone centre. Let , , and normalize all these states using a unit-cell inner product. For the real scalar Hamiltonian in the question, a nondegenerate zone-centre eigenfunction can be chosen real. Thenbecause opposite unit-cell faces cancel. Equivalently, time-reversal symmetry forbids a nonzero electric current in this nondegenerate spinless state. This explains why no linear energy term appears; it should not simply be omitted without a symmetry or extremum argument.
The first-order energy shift is therefore . In the second-order sum the quadratic term is proportional to the identity and has no off-diagonal matrix elements. Only the linear momentum vertex contributes. Second-order nondegenerate perturbation theory gives the momentum matrix-element expansion of band energyHermitian operator makes the two reciprocal matrix elements complex conjugates. All other periodic eigenstates at enter the sum. The remainder is even because time-reversal symmetry gives near this isolated state. At a degeneracy the denominators signal the need for degenerate perturbation theory instead.
mass ratio and the printed formula. Write . Differentiating the quadratic energy yieldsFor a specified unit direction , the resulting scalar mass ratio isIn an isotropic three-dimensional band, averaging equivalent directions givesCoupling to lower bands contributes positively to inverse mass; coupling to higher bands contributes negatively. Their signs and matrix elements determine the actual curvature.
The original PDF prints . Taken literally as a three-dimensional Laplacian, this misses a factor of three for an isotropic scalar mass. The correct identities areThe printed expression would return even for the free dispersion . It is correct in one dimension, or if its second derivative is interpreted directionally. For completeness, its literal three-dimensional trace ratio would instead be ; that is the trace of the dimensionless inverse-mass tensor, not the usual scalar .
Past exam of the quantum condensed matter course of the University of Cambridge 2016 4 Solution Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
Relaxation-time model. The Drude model treats mobile charge carriers as independent particles accelerated by the Lorentz force between scattering events. Collisions randomize the drift momentum toward local equilibrium and are represented by a uniform, field-independent momentum relaxation time. For the present calculation the carrier density, isotropic mass and relaxation time are fixed, the fields are uniform and stationary, and quantum orbital quantization and intercarrier correlations are neglected. The steady drift velocity obeysHere is the number of carriers of that species per unit volume, their signed charge, their inertial or isotropic band mass, the momentum relaxation time, and their single-species electrical conductivity at zero field.
One-carrier tensor. With and , solving for the electric field givesSince and ,Thus the resistivity tensor, defined by , isIts off-diagonal signs follow from the stated axes and signed . For zero transverse electric current, is the Hall electrical resistivity; reversing charge reverses it. The single-species longitudinal electrical resistivity is independent of in this ideal isotropic model.
Adding electrons and electron holes. Let both species have density and charges , with . The stipulated equal zero-field electrical conductivity means equal positive charge carrier mobility , even if their masses and momentum relaxation times separately differ. Put and . Inverting each electrical resistivity matrix givesBoth species experience the same electric field, so their electric current densities add. Therefore it is their conductivity tensors, rather than their resistivity tensors, that must be summed. The Hall parts cancel andThis is compensated two-carrier magnetoresistance. Although the net Hall field vanishes, each carrier species is bent in its own direction; maintaining the total longitudinal electric current requires an increasing longitudinal field. Equal carrier numbers alone do not ensure zero Hall response if charge carrier mobilities differ; both equalities given here are used.
Large-field limit and quantum oscillations. Expanding the exact diagonal entry,For ,Here the last equality applies to either species with its own mass and transport time; the stipulated charge carrier mobilities give the same threshold. This is the classical strong-field condition : carriers turn substantially before their drift momentum relaxes.
Observable quantum oscillations additionally require sufficiently sharp Landau levels and a sufficiently cold Fermi-Dirac distribution, approximatelyWhen , the disorder field scale is comparable to the onset scale for large classical magnetoresistance. The thermal condition can demand a much larger field, and when even the disorder criterion is stronger. The quantitative damping factors in Q2(c) show that these are crossover scales rather than sharp visibility boundaries. A large smooth magnetoresistance therefore does not itself demonstrate Landau level; it can exist while thermal smearing suppresses oscillations. Conversely, the asymptotic condition is stronger than merely reaching unity, so there is no universal ordering of the two experimental onset fields without temperatures and lifetime information.
Scaling function. The material's actual zero-field longitudinal electrical resistivity is . Dividing the exact answer by this value givesThe assumption that stays constant is essential to eliminating further temperature-dependent parameters. is a dimensionful scaling variable; is its dimensionless version. The corresponding fractional increase is .
What the supplied data test. In the original PDF's left panel, the field dependence is strongly temperature dependent. In the right panel, plotting the fractional magnetoresistance against the squared rescaled field makes the displayed 125, 150, 175, 200 and 225 K curves collapse approximately onto one straight line, over the field intervals where they overlap. This supports the proposed one-parameter scaling and, on that range, the quadratic field law. The 100 K curve does not collapse: it bends away and has a different slope in the rescaled plot. The indicated scaling is therefore supported for the displayed 125–225 K data, not for the entire displayed temperature range. The graph alone does not locate a sharp transition between 100 and 125 K or establish behavior above 225 K.
This empirical collapse is Kohler's rule. It is consistent with a common temperature-dependent charge carrier mobility or relaxation scale and a fixed carrier population; it is not a unique proof of exact compensation or of one microscopic scattering mechanism. A change in relative scattering times, carrier population or Fermi-surface structure could spoil the collapse, and this figure alone does not select the cause of the 100 K departure.
There is a factor-of-two normalization convention in the printed text. The introduced for each species gives , whereas the final paragraph calls “.” If denotes the experimentally measured zero-field electrical resistivity, the consistent slope isIf one instead keeps the literal single-species definition , the same model has . The choice rescales and offsets the axes by temperature-independent constants, so it does not change which temperature curves collapse, but it must be resolved before inferring a carrier density from the slope.
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2017 3 d Solution 2026-10-25
Use renormalized propagators of mass and tree vertex . The interaction counterterms have Feynman factors for a two-leg mass insertion and for a four-leg insertion. At one loop the two-point one-particle-irreducible vertex isThe directed tadpole has : interchanging its two ends would reverse the field labels, so the real-scalar tadpole's factor does not apply. It is independent of external momentum, so no wave-function counterterm is required at this order.
For the four-point vertex, label the two unstarred incoming fields by and the starred ones by , with all momenta incoming. The tree contact, the three oriented bubbles and the contact counterterm giveThe first bubble has two equivalent arrows along the same direction between its vertices, giving . In the other two channels the arrows oppose one another, and interchanging the lines does not preserve their oriented attachments, giving . This is the oriented complex-scalar quartic graph factors rule.
The mass tadpole is order , while the four-point loop is order . In the multiplicative coupling convention of the source,The distinction between and the whole additive four-leg coefficient matters for the requested order counting.
Tree, loop and counterterm contributions to the two-point and four-point vertices of a complex scalar field
. Details. Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2017 3 f Solution 2026-10-25
To first order, invert and use :The remainder is a perturbative statement at fixed regulator. When differentiating, hold the bare mass fixed as well as ; otherwise the mass running would not be defined by a fixed bare theory. Since ,Thus, with the source's extra factor of one half,The factor from the running dimensionless bare coupling cancels the counterterm pole. Differentiating as though were independent of would miss this finite result. Some conventions call itself the mass anomalous dimension; that convention is twice the one defined here.
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2018 3 a Solution 2026-10-25
A phi-fourth theory interaction has mass dimension , so its bare coefficient must contain a renormalization scale factor when expressed through a dimensionless renormalized coupling. The tree-level four-leg interaction vertex is linear in that coupling. At the next order, two quartic vertices form the three one-loop bubble diagram graphs shown in c, with external pairings , and .
For each pairing there are two identical internal lines and Feynman-diagram symmetry factor 2. The loop integral has the large-momentum behaviourIt is logarithmically divergent in four dimensions. Dimensional regularization represents that local divergence by a simple pole proportional to . Its residue is independent of external momenta, so a local quartic counterterm cancels it. The three graphs sum to one constant coefficient; this argument establishes its structure without requiring its value.
The relation consequently has the formThe sign of incorporates the chosen pole denominator and vertex convention. In particular, a negative here corresponds to a positive coefficient of in the bare coupling. Finite pieces depend on the renormalization scheme; a pure-pole relation is natural in minimal subtraction scheme. One-loop two-point tadpole diagrams contribute mass renormalization, but not the momentum-dependent field renormalization that could change this coupling relation at order . The four-point object relevant here is the amputated one-particle-irreducible vertex; external-leg self-energy insertions are dealt with separately.
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2019 1 c Solution 2026-10-25
Define and . The Hermitian quantum field has the mode expansion of a free fieldwhere the annihilation operators and creation operators obey the bosonic canonical commutation relationsBecause , its mode expansion of a free field isThe two nonzero cross commutators then giveand the equal-time field-field and momentum-momentum commutators vanish. This verifies the factor without requiring Lorentz invariance.
Substitution into the Hamiltonian, followed by normal ordering, yieldsConsequently : one application of a creation operator adds precisely the required quasiparticle energy. Before normal ordering there is the usual constant zero-point vacuum energy. If , the exactly zero-momentum mode has and is a free canonical coordinate, not an oscillator with a normalizable oscillator vacuum state; in a finite box handle that mode separately or introduce a small positive mass. The formula applies directly to all modes with .
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2019 2 a Solution 2026-10-25
Use the Fourier transform convention , and similarly for . All four-momenta at an interaction vertex are incoming. The quadratic terms are diagonal, so the scalar propagators areThe field interaction terms are and . The two identical field slots cancel the factor at either cubic interaction vertex. Expanding therefore givesIn the second rule are specifically the two four-momenta; there is no derivative acting on the leg. Indeed the two derivatives give , fixing the minus sign. This is a mixed scalar derivative cubic vertex. For arbitrary off-shell legs one may equivalently write , but may not replace the squared four-momenta by squared masses unless those legs are on their mass shells.
Each interaction vertex also carries for momentum conservation. Integrate independent loop momenta with and divide by the Feynman-diagram symmetry factor. An amputated external scalar leg has factor 1. The Feynman i-epsilon prescription fixes the propagator poles. As a dimensional check in four spacetime dimensions, , and in mass dimensions; the two powers of momentum in the derivative rule restore mass dimension one for its cubic interaction vertex.
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2020 1 d Solution 2026-10-25
For a connected amputated Feynman diagram, write for the number of independent loop momenta. Each loop momentum integration scales as , each internal scalar propagator as , and each internal Dirac propagator as when both four-momenta and mass are scaled. The Yukawa coupling has mass dimension zero. ThusCounting the two fermion ends and one scalar end at each interaction vertex, and using connectedness, givesConsequently , , andThe requested exponent requires amputation and removal of the overall momentum delta function. An ordinary unamputated connected Green function has an additional external scalar propagators, giving mass dimension after stripping that delta function, or if it is retained. For a concrete check, the free two-point scalar propagator scales as , not . The exponent is the engineering result for the amputated object. A fixed renormalization scale introduces logarithms; the displayed homogeneity is a naive power counting statement rather than an exact quantum scaling law at fixed subtraction scale.
More generally, with external scalar ends and external fermion ends, the same counting gives the superficial degree of divergenceThis is an upper bound on the overall ultraviolet divergence. Numerator cancellations and Lorentz invariance may lower it; an apparently convergent whole Feynman diagram can still have ultraviolet subdivergences. Local subtraction of those ultraviolet subdivergences is required first.
For pure scalar ends, can require counterterms. Lorentz invariance reduces the two-point terms to a mass counterterm and wave-function renormalization; derivatives of a single scalar field are total derivatives, and a one-derivative cubic scalar term cannot be a Lorentz scalar. With two external fermions, requires their kinetic term and mass counterterm, while requires Yukawa coupling renormalization. Four external fermions give , so no independent four-fermion counterterm is required.
A complete counterterm Lagrangian consistent with the species symmetry can therefore be writtenThe vacuum energy density term matters for an unnormalized vacuum functional and cancels from normalized Green functions. The tadpole counterterm can impose . There is no symmetry of the massive Yukawa interaction, so linear, cubic and quartic scalar terms cannot be excluded. For instance, in a constant background the divergent fermion loop contribution contains , exhibiting all these powers. This is counterterm closure of a massive Yukawa theory.
The two species have identical couplings, so their common unitary flavour rotations preserve the Lagrangian density and their counterterms can be chosen species independent. Equality of the scalar and fermion masses, however, is not protected: and are independent. Including the displayed finite set of operators yields a renormalizable quantum field theory. Restricting the bare Lagrangian density to the terms printed in the question is not closed under renormalization.
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2021 3 a Solution 2026-10-25
Here three means the total spacetime dimension. A dimensionless action requires in mass dimensions. The kinetic term gives , so . Matching the mass dimensions of both field interaction terms givesThus has units of mass and is dimensionless. The quartic interaction is superrenormalizable by power counting, and is a marginal coupling by power counting.
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2022 1 c Solution 2026-10-25
Set and . The superficial degree of divergence is then , independently of the number of cubic interaction vertices. After subtracting ultraviolet subdivergences, the divergent part of a one-particle irreducible Feynman diagram is a local polynomial in external momenta of degree at most . Lorentz invariance and momentum conservation leave the following possibilities:
- : a constant vacuum energy density.
- : a linear tadpole counterterm. The single external momentum is zero, so derivatives cannot generate further independent terms.
- : a mass counterterm and a wave-function renormalization, since the polynomial has the form .
- : a constant cubic interaction vertex.
- : no overall ultraviolet divergence, although ultraviolet subdivergences still require their lower-point counterterms.
Thus a finite set of counterterms closes under perturbation theory. In terms of renormalized coefficients, writeHere is a coefficient of squared mass, rather than a correction to itself. The tadpole counterterm fixes the chosen expansion point, for example ; it cannot be omitted merely because the original Lagrangian density lacks a linear term. The vacuum energy density term cancels out of normalized Green functions, but is required if the unnormalized vacuum functional is also to be renormalized. This establishes perturbative renormalizability; the unbounded scalar potential of a real cubic scalar field theory does not by itself define a stable nonperturbative vacuum state.
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2022 1 d Solution 2026-10-25
Continue with the cubic scalar field theory of c, and use precisely its counterterm signs. Take to separate ultraviolet divergences from infrared divergences. Make a Wick rotation and impose the rotationally invariant cutoff regularization . PutFor example, spherical coordinates give . Polynomial division and then differentiation with respect to give the divergent partsThe derivative relations are and ; differentiation also generates finite terms, which are irrelevant here. The first supplied integral identity is consistent with these divergent parts after Wick rotation.
The second supplied expansion is incorrect. Write . Direct multiplication of the two denominators gives , so the correct Taylor expansion isA concrete counterexample is , , : the exact expression is , whereas the printed expansion gives . We therefore compute the self-energy without that identity.
For Euclidean external momentum , define the scalar bubble integralA Feynman parameter combines its denominators into one squared denominator with . Applying the radial result above and integrating yieldsOne can instead expand with the ultraviolet cutoff fixed on the unshifted loop momentum: the coefficient of the integrand is , using rotational averaging in six dimensions. Its leading radial term is , giving the same logarithm. Shifting a sharp integration boundary changes finite terms in this scalar bubble integral, and does not change the displayed divergent coefficients.
To fix all signs and symmetry factors together, expand the one-loop Euclidean effective action around a background scalar field:These terms are the tadpole diagram, the two-point bubble diagram, and the triangle Feynman diagram. The tadpole diagram has factor ; the two-point bubble diagram also has factor after two differentiations with respect to the background scalar field. The local three-point interaction vertex is . Thus their divergent contributions to the one-, two-, and three-point Euclidean one-particle irreducible vertices are respectivelyThe Euclidean counterterm Lagrangian is . Cancelling each divergent one-particle irreducible vertex therefore givesFor example, the two-point sum is and its divergent coefficients cancel separately. Finite counterterms depend on the chosen renormalization conditions. The zero-mass limit can use a positive subtraction scale in the logarithms after infrared regularization.
If unnormalized vacuum functionals are retained, specify the determinant measure byExpanding its radial integrand at large fixes the additional vacuum energy density counterterm:The purely mass-independent terms depend on the determinant normalization. Normalized Green functions eliminate this entire constant.
Past exam of the quantum field theory course of the University of Oxford 2022 3 d Solution 2026-10-25
Combine the two equal-mass Dirac fields into . A constant unitary matrix acting on this flavour index commutes with the common Dirac Hamiltonian, so gives the unitary flavour symmetry of degenerate Dirac fields . Its real Lie algebra has dimension four. A convenient Hermitian generator basis is , , , where are the Pauli matrices.
For each generator the canonical anticommutation relations giveThe calculation is exactly the one in b, since commutes with both the Dirac gamma matrices and the common fermion mass matrix. ThusExplicitly their densities areThe two off-diagonal conserved currents are why counting only the individual fermion numbers misses two generators. The singlet generates ; the other three generate special unitary group . Unequal masses would break the off-diagonal conservation laws.
Scope of the count. Four is the count of currents of the displayed form. The completely free system also has an enhanced internal symmetry of free Dirac fields if mixing with charge-conjugate fields is admitted. For , write its two Dirac fields as four equal-mass Majorana spinors . Their orthogonal group rotations have six continuous generators, with conserved currents proportional to for ; the four currents form a subgroup. This larger count is relevant if “similar” means all local internal currents of the free system, without preserving a chosen fermion number. If , the usual number-preserving chiral flavour symmetry of massless Dirac fields is with eight currents; allowing charge conjugation mixing enlarges it to with sixteen. These counts concern internal currents, excluding spacetime Noether currents.
For a uniform continuum gas with pair interactions depending on relative positions, a Galilean boost changes every particle momentum by and leaves the interaction energy unchanged. Write . The transformed many-body Hamiltonian operator isThe resting ground state has , so the Galilean boost energy of an interacting gas isThe mass here is the bare particle mass, because this is an exact transformation of the microscopic kinetic energy. Substituting the Fermi-liquid effective mass would omit the change in interaction energy encoded by the Landau quasiparticle energy functional. This conclusion requires the Principle of Galilean relativity; a gas in a lattice or a fixed external potential energy landscape need not obey it.
Use the total density of states and from part (b). In the paper's double-sum convention, has units of energy and scales as . Define its first angular moment byThis convention matters: the Landau quasiparticle energy functional written with an explicit instead uses the intensive kernel .
At zero temperature, the displayed functional is the change in ; a true Galilean boost preserves , so . For a radial displacement , the first term in the Landau quasiparticle energy functional becomesThe oriented radial integral also works for negative : removing occupied levels below the chemical potential costs positive energy. Substituting and using givesThe exact second-order correction to the boundary is unnecessary here because the unperturbed excitation energy vanishes on the Fermi surface; it changes this term only beyond quadratic order. It must nevertheless be understood when identifying with a fixed-particle number energy change.
For the quadratic interaction term, the first-order occupation change alone suffices. The radial Dirac delta function integrals givePut . The remaining angular integral usesso only the first cosine component of the interaction survives. Since ,Adding both contributions and matching the bare-mass result of part (a) yields the two-dimensional Landau effective-mass relation:Equivalently, using the density of states per unit area ,If dimensionless Landau parameters are defined through the Fourier series , then andDefining the cosine expansion with an extra factor of two would instead absorb that factor into ; the angular-integral formula above fixes the convention unambiguously. The physical content is that interaction changes accompanying a moving Fermi sea compensate the renormalized quasiparticle velocity, so the total boost energy is governed by the bare mass. For an interaction independent of angle, and this consistency condition requires .

