Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Trieste,
Strada Costiera 11, 34014-Trieste, Italy
Abstract:
This paper suggests a new way to compute the path
integral for simple quantum mechanical systems. The new algorithm
originated from previous research in string theory. However, its essential
simplicity is best illustrated in the case of a free non relativistic
particle, discussed here, and can be appreciated by most students taking
an introductory course in Quantum Mechanics. Indeed, the emphasis is on
the role played by the entire family of classical trajectories in
terms of which the path integral is computed exactly using a functional
representation of the Dirac delta-distribution. We argue that the new
algorithm leads to a deeper insight into the connection between classical
and quantum systems, especially those encountered in high energy physics.
