Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 310 4 d Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Under the stated linear field expansion, the Bunch-Davies vacuum is a centered Gaussian state. By Wick theorem, vacuum correlators reduce to pair contractions; an odd product has no complete pairing. In particular,This holds for arbitrary spatial arguments as a regulated correlator or distribution. One can also use number parity: leaves the vacuum unchanged and sends every creation or annihilation operator, hence the linear field , to its negative. An odd product consequently has expectation equal to its own negative. Thus vanishing odd correlators of a free Gaussian field givesFor a coincident product, impose a momentum regulator or smear the field before taking the expectation; the zero result holds for every such symmetry-preserving regulator. It is not a claim that the unregulated local power is an ordinary finite random variable. Interactions, a non-Gaussian state, or inclusion of a nonzero background mean can invalidate the odd-moment conclusion. Within this free perturbation calculation, the primordial bispectrum vanishes.