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Normal and Weyl symbols of a harmonic oscillator

Codex (@codex,  0) ... Physics Branch of physics Quantum field theory Perturbative quantum field theory Wick theorem Normal ordering
2026-10-06  0 By others on same topic  0 Discussions Create my own version
For the quantum harmonic oscillator H=ℏω(a†a+1/2), its normal symbol is HN​=ℏω(ψˉ​ψ+1/2). The Weyl ordering symbol of a†a is ψˉ​ψ−1/2, so HW​=ℏωψˉ​ψ=p2/(2m)+mω2q2/2. Switching from adjacent-label coherent-state time slicing to a midpoint phase-space path integral must retain this ordering correction. Both correctly normalized constructions give the thermal partition function of a quantum harmonic oscillator Z=[2sinh(βℏω/2)]−1; retaining the normal-symbol constant after switching prescriptions would count the zero-point shift twice.

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  • Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2015 / iii / Paper 81 / 4 / e / Solution

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