Field Theory Methods in Classical Dynamics

Abstract

A Dirac picture perturbation theory is developed for the time evolution operator in classical dynamics in the spirit of the Schwinger-Feynman-Dyson perturbation expansion and detailed rules are derived for computations. Complexification formalisms are given for the time evolution operator suitable for phase space analyses, and then extended to a two-dimensional setting for a study of the geometrical Berry phase as an example. Finally a direct integration of Hamilton's equations is shown to lead naturally to a path integral expression, as a resolution of the identity, as applied to arbitrary functions of generalized coordinates and momenta.