Classical and Quantum Dynamics: From Classical Paths to Path Integrals

Description

Introduction.- The Action Principles in Mechanics.- The Action Principle in Classical Electrodynamics.- Application of the Action Principles.- Jacobi Fields, Conjugate Points.-Canonical Transformations.- The Hamilton-Jacobi Equation.- Action-Angle Variables.- The Adiabatic Invariance of the Action Variables.- Time-Independent Canonical Perturbation Theory .- Canonical Perturbation Theory with Several Degrees of Freedom.- Canonical Adiabatic Theory.- Removal of Resonances.- Superconvergent Perturbation Theory, KAM Theorem.- Poincare Surface of Sections, Mappings.- The KAM Theorem.- Fundamental Principles of Quantum Mechanics.- Functional Derivative Approach.- Examples for Calculating Path Integrals.- Direct Evaluation of Path Integrals.- Linear Oscillator with Time-Dependent Frequency.- Propagators for Particles in an External Magnetic Field.- Simple Applications of Propagator Functions.- The WKB Approximation.- Computing the trace.- Partition Function for the Harmonic Oscillator.- Introduction to Homotopy Theory.- Classical Chern-Simons Mechanics.- Semiclassical Quantization.- The "Maslov Anomaly" for the Harmonic Oscillator.-Maslov Anomaly and the Morse Index Theorem.- Berry's Phase.- Classical Analogues to Berry's Phase.- Berry Phase and Parametric Harmonic Oscillator.- Topological Phases in Planar Electrodynamics.- Appendix.- Solutions.- Index.