Victor P. Maslov - Böcker

This monograph is about a branch of calculus the authors have called Idempotent Analysis, which deals with the semimodules of functions ranging in a semiring with idempotent addition. The theory is developed together with numerous applications to: discrete mathematics, turnpike theory, mathematical economics, games and controlled Markov processes, the theory of generalised solutions of the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman differential equation, the theory of continuously observed and controlled quantum systems and the construction of WKB-like asymptotics of the heat equation and the Schrodinger equation.

This volume is concerned with a detailed description of the canonical operator method - one of the asymptotic methods of linear mathematical physics. The book is, in fact, an extension and continuation of the authors' works [59], [60], [65]. The basic ideas are summarized in the Introduction. The book consists of two parts. In the first, the theory of the canonical operator is develop­ ed, whereas, in the second, many applications of the canonical operator method to concrete problems of mathematical physics are presented. The authors are pleased to express their deep gratitude to S. M. Tsidilin for his valuable comments. THE AUTHORS IX INTRODUCTION 1. Various problems of mathematical and theoretical physics involve partial differential equations with a small parameter at the highest derivative terms. For constructing approximate solutions of these equations, asymptotic methods have long been used. In recent decades there has been a renaissance period of the asymptotic methods of linear mathematical physics. The range of their applicability has expanded: the asymptotic methods have been not only continuously used in traditional branches of mathematical physics but also have had an essential impact on the development of the general theory of partial differential equations. It appeared recently that there is a unified approach to a number of problems which, at first sight, looked rather unrelated.

This book deals with asymptotic solutions of linear and nonlinear equa- tions which decay as h ---+ 0 outside a neighborhood of certain points, curves and surfaces. Such solutions are almost everywhere well approximated by the functions cp(x) exp{iS(x)/h}, x E 1R3, where S(x) is complex, and ImS(x) ~ o. When the phase S(x) is real (ImS(x) = 0), the method for obtaining asymp- totics of this type is known in quantum mechanics as the WKB-method. We preserve this terminology in the case ImS(x) ~ 0 and develop the method for a wide class of problems in mathematical physics. Asymptotics of this type were constructed recently for many linear prob- lems of mathematical physics; certain specific formulas were obtained by differ- ent methods (V. M. Babich [5 -7], V. P. Lazutkin [76], A. A. Sokolov, 1. M. Ter- nov [113], J. Schwinger [107, 108], E. J. Heller [53], G. A. Hagedorn [50, 51], V. N. Bayer, V. M. Katkov [21], N. A. Chernikov [35] and others). However, a general (Hamiltonian) formalism for obtaining asymptotics of this type is clearly required; this state of affairs is expressed both in recent mathematical and physical literature.For example, the editors of the collected volume [106] write in its preface: "One can hope that in the near future a computational pro- cedure for fields with complex phase, similar to the usual one for fields with real phase, will be developed.

In this monograph we study the problem of construction of asymptotic solutions of equations for functions whose number of arguments tends to infinity as the small parameter tends to zero. Such equations arise in statistical physics and in quantum theory of a large number of fi elds. We consider the problem of renormalization of quantum field theory in the Hamiltonian formalism, which encounters additional difficulties related to the Stückelberg divergences and the Haag theorem. Asymptotic methods for solving pseudodifferential equations with small parameter multiplying the derivatives, as well as the asymptotic methods developed in the present monograph for solving problems in statistical physics and quantum field theory, can be considered from a unified viewpoint if one introduces the notion of abstract canonical operator. The book can be of interest for researchers – specialists in asymptotic methods, statistical physics, and quantum fi eld theory as well as for graduate and undergraduate students of these specialities.

This book deals with asymptotic solutions of linear and nonlinear equa- tions which decay as h ---+ 0 outside a neighborhood of certain points, curves and surfaces. Such solutions are almost everywhere well approximated by the functions cp(x) exp{iS(x)/h}, x E 1R3, where S(x) is complex, and ImS(x) ~ o. When the phase S(x) is real (ImS(x) = 0), the method for obtaining asymp- totics of this type is known in quantum mechanics as the WKB-method. We preserve this terminology in the case ImS(x) ~ 0 and develop the method for a wide class of problems in mathematical physics. Asymptotics of this type were constructed recently for many linear prob- lems of mathematical physics; certain specific formulas were obtained by differ- ent methods (V. M. Babich [5 -7], V. P. Lazutkin [76], A. A. Sokolov, 1. M. Ter- nov [113], J. Schwinger [107, 108], E. J. Heller [53], G. A. Hagedorn [50, 51], V. N. Bayer, V. M. Katkov [21], N. A. Chernikov [35] and others). However, a general (Hamiltonian) formalism for obtaining asymptotics of this type is clearly required; this state of affairs is expressed both in recent mathematical and physical literature.For example, the editors of the collected volume [106] write in its preface: "One can hope that in the near future a computational pro- cedure for fields with complex phase, similar to the usual one for fields with real phase, will be developed.

This volume is concerned with a detailed description of the canonical operator method - one of the asymptotic methods of linear mathematical physics. The book is, in fact, an extension and continuation of the authors' works [59], [60], [65]. The basic ideas are summarized in the Introduction. The book consists of two parts. In the first, the theory of the canonical operator is develop­ ed, whereas, in the second, many applications of the canonical operator method to concrete problems of mathematical physics are presented. The authors are pleased to express their deep gratitude to S. M. Tsidilin for his valuable comments. THE AUTHORS IX INTRODUCTION 1. Various problems of mathematical and theoretical physics involve partial differential equations with a small parameter at the highest derivative terms. For constructing approximate solutions of these equations, asymptotic methods have long been used. In recent decades there has been a renaissance period of the asymptotic methods of linear mathematical physics. The range of their applicability has expanded: the asymptotic methods have been not only continuously used in traditional branches of mathematical physics but also have had an essential impact on the development of the general theory of partial differential equations. It appeared recently that there is a unified approach to a number of problems which, at first sight, looked rather unrelated.

This monograph is about a branch of calculus the authors have called Idempotent Analysis, which deals with the semimodules of functions ranging in a semiring with idempotent addition. The theory is developed together with numerous applications to discrete mathematics, turnpike theory, mathematical economics, games and controlled Markov processes, the theory of generalised solutions of the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman differential equation, the theory of continuously observed and controlled quantum systems and the construction of WKB-like asymptotics of the heat equation and the Schrodinger equation. Audience: This book will be of interest to mathematicians, engineers, college teachers and students.