Rolando Rebolledo - Böcker

This work highlights emergent research in the area of quantum probability. Several papers present a qualitative analysis of quantum dynamical semi-groups and new results on q-deformed oscillator algebras, while others stress the application of classical stochastic processes in quantum modelling. All of the contributions have been thoroughly refereed and are an outgrowth of an international workshop in Stochastic Analysis and Mathematical Physics.

The seminar on Stochastic Analysis and Mathematical Physics started in 1984 at the Catholic University of Chile in Santiago and has been an on­ going research activity. Since 1995, the group has organized international workshops as a way of promoting a broader dialogue among experts in the areas of classical and quantum stochastic analysis, mathematical physics and physics. This volume, consisting primarily of contributions to the Third Inter­ national Workshop on Stochastic Analysis and Mathematical Physics (in Spanish ANESTOC), held in Santiago, Chile, in October 1998, focuses on an analysis of quantum dynamics and related problems in probability the­ ory. Various articles investigate quantum dynamical semigroups and new results on q-deformed oscillator algebras, while others examine the appli­ cation of classical stochastic processes in quantum modeling. As in previous workshops, the topic of quantum flows and semigroups occupied an important place. In her paper, R. Carbone uses a spectral type analysis to obtain exponential rates of convergence towards the equilibrium of a quantum dynamical semigroup in the £2 sense. The method is illus­ trated with a quantum extension of a classical birth and death process. Quantum extensions of classical Markov processes lead to subtle problems of domains. This is in particular illustrated by F. Fagnola, who presents a pathological example of a semigroup for which the largest * -subalgebra (of the von Neumann algebra of bounded linear operators of £2 (lR+, IC)), con­ tained in the domain of its infinitesimal generator, is not a-weakly dense.

The seminar on Stochastic Analysis and Mathematical Physics of the Ca­ tholic University of Chile, started in Santiago in 1984, has being followed and enlarged since 1995 by a series of international workshops aimed at pro­ moting a wide-spectrum dialogue between experts on the fields of classical and quantum stochastic analysis, mathematical physics, and physics. This volume collects most of the contributions to the Fourth Interna­ tional Workshop on Stochastic Analysis and Mathematical Physics (whose Spanish abbreviation is "ANESTOC"; in English, "STAMP"), held in San­ tiago, Chile, from January 5 to 11, 2000. The workshop style stimulated a vivid exchange of ideas which finally led to a number of written con­ tributions which I am glad to introduce here. However, we are currently submitted to a sort of invasion of proceedings books, and we do not want to increase our own shelves with a new one of the like. On the other hand, the editors of conference proceedings have to use different exhausting and com­ pulsive strategies to persuade authors to write and provide texts in time, a task which terrifies us. As a result, this volume is aimed at smoothly start­ ing a new kind of publication. What we would like to have is a collection of books organized like our seminar.

With contributions by numerous experts

The seminar on Stochastic Analysis and Mathematical Physics of the Ca­ tholic University of Chile, started in Santiago in 1984, has being followed and enlarged since 1995 by a series of international workshops aimed at pro­ moting a wide-spectrum dialogue between experts on the fields of classical and quantum stochastic analysis, mathematical physics, and physics. This volume collects most of the contributions to the Fourth Interna­ tional Workshop on Stochastic Analysis and Mathematical Physics (whose Spanish abbreviation is "ANESTOC"; in English, "STAMP"), held in San­ tiago, Chile, from January 5 to 11, 2000. The workshop style stimulated a vivid exchange of ideas which finally led to a number of written con­ tributions which I am glad to introduce here. However, we are currently submitted to a sort of invasion of proceedings books, and we do not want to increase our own shelves with a new one of the like. On the other hand, the editors of conference proceedings have to use different exhausting and com­ pulsive strategies to persuade authors to write and provide texts in time, a task which terrifies us. As a result, this volume is aimed at smoothly start­ ing a new kind of publication. What we would like to have is a collection of books organized like our seminar.

This volume contains the proceedings of the Second Workshop on Stochastic Analysis and Mathematical Physics. It includes discussion of Feynman functional integrals and the stochastic limit, phase transitions, and collective interactions in CQED.

The book collects a series of papers centered on two main streams: Feynman path integral approach to Quantum Mechanics and statistical mechanics of quantum open systems. Key authors discuss the state-of-the-art within their fields of expertise. In addition, the volume includes a number of contributed papers with new results, which have been thoroughly refereed.The contributions in this volume highlight emergent research in the area of stochastic analysis and mathematical physics, focusing, in particular on Feynman functional integral approach and, on the other hand, in quantum probability. The book is addressed to an audience of mathematical physicists, as well as specialists in probability theory, stochastic analysis and operator algebras.The proceedings have been selected for coverage in:• Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings (ISTP CDROM version / ISI Proceedings)• CC Proceedings — Engineering & Physical Sciences