Gauge Freedom in the Path Integral Formalism

Abstract

We investigate 't Hooft's technique of changing the gauge parameter of the linear covariant gauge from the point of view of the path integral with respect to the gauge freedom. Extension of the degrees of freedom allows us to formulate a system with extended gauge symmetry. The gauge fixing for this extended symmetry yields the 't Hooft averaging as a path integral over the additional degrees of freedom. Another gauge fixing is found as a non-abelian analogue of the type II gaugeon formalism of Yokoyama and Kubo. In this connection, the 't Hooft average can be viewed as the analogue of the type I gaugeon formalism. As a result, we obtain gauge covariant formulations of non-abelian gauge theories, which allow us to understand 't Hoot's technique also from the canonical fromalism.