What does the path integral represent?

What does the path integral represent?

A line integral (sometimes called a path integral) is the integral of some function along a curve. One can integrate a scalar-valued function along a curve, obtaining for example, the mass of a wire from its density.

Who invented path integral?

One usually refers the Feynman’s concept of path integral to the work of Norbert Wiener on Brownian motion in the early 1920s.

What is the path integral of force?

Line integrals: (also called path integrals) Ingredients: Field F = Mi + Nj = �M,N� Curve C: r(t) = x(t)i + y(t)j = �x, y� ⇒ dr = �dx, dy�. We need to discuss: a) How line integrals arise. The figure on the left shows a force F being applied over a displacement Δr.

What is the physical significance of line integral?

Line integrals are useful in physics for computing the work done by a force on a moving object. If you parameterize the curve such that you move in the opposite direction as t increases, the value of the line integral is multiplied by −1 .

Is the integral path independent?

An integral is path independent if it only depends on the starting and finishing points. Consequently, on any curve C={r(t)|t∈[a,b]}, by the fundamental theorem of calculus ∫CFdr=∫C∇fdr=f(r(b))−f(r(a)), in other words the integral only depends on r(b) and r(a): it is path independent.

Is the line integral independent of path?

Showing that if a vector field is the gradient of a scalar field, then its line integral is path independent.

What does path integral formalism mean?

Path-integral-formalism meaning A formalism for a physical theory which is based upon Feynman path integrals.

What is the path integral of quantum mechanics?

The path integral formulation of quantum mechanics is a description of quantum theory that generalizes the action principle of classical mechanics.

What is path integral?

Path integral may refer to: Line integral, the integral of a function along a curve. Functional integration, the integral of a functional over a space of curves. Path integral formulation of quantum mechanics using functional integration, due to Richard Feynman .

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