Time evolution: Difference between revisions
→General references: just one citation concerning discretization of time; there are many materials on time evolution but most are in lectures and almost all are in quantum systems |
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| pages = 2574–2597 |
| pages = 2574–2597 |
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| year = 2014 |
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| last1 = Lanford | first1 = O. E. |
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| editor = Moser J. |
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| doi = 10.1007/3-540-07171-7_1 |
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| volume = 38 |
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| title = Dynamical Systems, Theory and Applications |
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| series = Lecture Notes in Physics |
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| chapter = Time evolution of large classical systems |
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| pages = 1–111 |
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| year = 1975 |
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| publisher = Springer |
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| location = Berlin, Heidelberg |
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| isbn = 978-3-540-37505-0 |
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*{{citation |
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| last1 = Lanford | first1 = O. E. |
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| last2 = Lebowitz | first2 = J. L. |
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| editor = Moser J. |
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| doi = 10.1007/3-540-07171-7_3 |
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| journal = Applicable Analysis |
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| volume = 38 |
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| title = Dynamical Systems, Theory and Applications |
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| series = Lecture Notes in Physics |
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| chapter = Time evolution and ergodic properties of harmonic systems |
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| pages = 144–177 |
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| year = 1975 |
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| publisher = Springer |
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| location = Berlin, Heidelberg |
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| isbn = 978-3-540-37505-0 |
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Revision as of 07:25, 25 October 2020
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Time evolution is the change of state brought about by the passage of time, applicable to systems with internal state (also called stateful systems). In this formulation, time is not required to be a continuous parameter, but may be discrete or even finite. In classical physics, time evolution of a collection of rigid bodies is governed by the principles of classical mechanics. In their most rudimentary form, these principles express the relationship between forces acting on the bodies and their acceleration given by Newton's laws of motion. These principles can also be equivalently expressed more abstractly by Hamiltonian mechanics or Lagrangian mechanics.
The concept of time evolution may be applicable to other stateful systems as well. For instance, the operation of a Turing machine can be regarded as the time evolution of the machine's control state together with the state of the tape (or possibly multiple tapes) including the position of the machine's read-write head (or heads). In this case, time is discrete.
Stateful systems often have dual descriptions in terms of states or in terms of observable values. In such systems, time evolution can also refer to the change in observable values. This is particularly relevant in quantum mechanics where the Schrödinger picture and Heisenberg picture are (mostly) equivalent descriptions of time evolution.
Time evolution operators
Consider a system with state space X for which evolution is deterministic and reversible. For concreteness let us also suppose time is a parameter that ranges over the set of real numbers R. Then time evolution is given by a family of bijective state transformations
Ft, s(x) is the state of the system at time t, whose state at time s is x. The following identity holds
To see why this is true, suppose x ∈ X is the state at time s. Then by the definition of F, Ft, s(x) is the state of the system at time t and consequently applying the definition once more, Fu, t(Ft, s(x)) is the state at time u. But this is also Fu, s(x).
In some contexts in mathematical physics, the mappings Ft, s are called 'propagation operators' or simply propagators. In classical mechanics, the propagators are functions that operate on the phase space of a physical system. In quantum mechanics, the propagators are usually unitary operators on a Hilbert space. The propagators can be expressed as time-ordered exponentials of the integrated Hamiltonian. The asymptotic properties of time evolution are given by the scattering matrix.[1]
A state space with a distinguished propagator is also called a dynamical system.
To say time evolution is homogeneous means that
In the case of a homogeneous system, the mappings Gt = Ft,0 form a one-parameter group of transformations of X, that is
For non-reversible systems, the propagation operators Ft, s are defined whenever t ≥ s and satisfy the propagation identity
In the homogeneous case the propagators are exponentials of the Hamiltonian.
In quantum mechanics
In the Schrödinger picture, the Hamiltonian operator generates the time evolution of quantum states. If is the state of the system at time , then
This is the Schrödinger equation. Given the state at some initial time (), if is independent of time, then the unitary time evolution operator is
See also
References
- ^ Lecture 1 {{|}} Quantum Entanglements, Part 1 (Stanford) (video). Stanford, CA: Stanford. October 2, 2006. Retrieved September 5, 2020 – via YouTube.
General references
- Amann, H.; Arendt, W.; Neubrander, F.; Nicaise, S.; von Below, J. (2008), Amann, Herbert; Arendt, Wolfgang; Hieber, Matthias; Neubrander, Frank M; Nicaise, Serge; von Below, Joachim (eds.), Functional Analysis and Evolution Equations: The Günter Lumer Volume, Basel: Birkhäuser, doi:10.1007/978-3-7643-7794-6, ISBN 978-3-7643-7793-9, MR 2402015.
- Jerome, J. W.; Polizzi, E. (2014), "Discretization of time-dependent quantum systems: real-time propagation of the evolution operator", Applicable Analysis, 93 (12): 2574–2597, doi:10.1080/00036811.2013.878863.
- Lanford, O. E. (1975), "Time evolution of large classical systems", in Moser J. (ed.), Dynamical Systems, Theory and Applications, Lecture Notes in Physics, vol. 38, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 1–111, doi:10.1007/3-540-07171-7_1, ISBN 978-3-540-37505-0.
- Lanford, O. E.; Lebowitz, J. L. (1975), Moser J. (ed.), "Dynamical Systems, Theory and Applications", Applicable Analysis, Lecture Notes in Physics, 38, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer: 144–177, doi:10.1007/3-540-07171-7_3, ISBN 978-3-540-37505-0
{{citation}}
:|chapter=
ignored (help).
- Lumer, Günter (1994), "Evolution equations. Solutions for irregular evolution problems via generalized solutions and generalized initial values. Applications to periodic shocks models", Annales Universitatis Saraviensis, Series Mathematicae, 5 (1), MR 1286099.