{"id":{"repo_id":"potsdam-diss","oai_identifier":"oai:kobv.de-opus4-uni-potsdam:9438"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/potsdam-diss/oai:kobv.de-opus4-uni-potsdam:9438","repository":{"repo_id":"potsdam-diss","name":"Universität Potsdam - Diss","base_url":"https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/opus4-ubp/oai"},"display":{"title":"Path integrals on manifolds with boundary and their asymptotic expansions","abstract":"It is \"scientific folklore\" coming from physical heuristics that solutions to the heat equation on a Riemannian manifold can be represented by a path integral. However, the problem with such path integrals is that they are notoriously ill-defined. One way to make them rigorous (which is often applied in physics) is finite-dimensional approximation, or time-slicing approximation: Given a fine partition of the time interval into small subintervals, one restricts the integration domain to paths that are geodesic on each subinterval of the partition. These finite-dimensional integrals are well-defined, and the (infinite-dimensional) path integral then is defined as the limit of these (suitably normalized) integrals, as the mesh of the partition tends to zero. In this thesis, we show that indeed, solutions to the heat equation on a general compact Riemannian manifold with boundary are given by such time-slicing path integrals. Here we consider the heat equation for general Laplace type operators, acting on sections of a vector bundle. We also obtain similar results for the heat kernel, although in this case, one has to restrict to metrics satisfying a certain smoothness condition at the boundary. One of the most important manipulations one would like to do with path integrals is taking their asymptotic expansions; in the case of the heat kernel, this is the short time asymptotic expansion. In order to use time-slicing approximation here, one needs the approximation to be uniform in the time parameter. We show that this is possible by giving strong error estimates. Finally, we apply these results to obtain short time asymptotic expansions of the heat kernel also in degenerate cases (i.e. at the cut locus). Furthermore, our results allow to relate the asymptotic expansion of the heat kernel to a formal asymptotic expansion of the infinite-dimensional path integral, which gives relations between geometric quantities on the manifold and on the loop space. In particular, we show that the lowest order term in the asymptotic expansion of the heat kernel is essentially given by the Fredholm determinant of the Hessian of the energy functional. We also investigate how this relates to the zeta-regularized determinant of the Jacobi operator along minimizing geodesics.","abstract_html":"It is &quot;scientific folklore&quot; coming from physical heuristics that solutions to the heat equation on a Riemannian manifold can be represented by a path integral. However, the problem with such path integrals is that they are notoriously ill-defined. One way to make them rigorous (which is often applied in physics) is finite-dimensional approximation, or time-slicing approximation: Given a fine partition of the time interval into small subintervals, one restricts the integration domain to paths that are geodesic on each subinterval of the partition. These finite-dimensional integrals are well-defined, and the (infinite-dimensional) path integral then is defined as the limit of these (suitably normalized) integrals, as the mesh of the partition tends to zero. In this thesis, we show that indeed, solutions to the heat equation on a general compact Riemannian manifold with boundary are given by such time-slicing path integrals. Here we consider the heat equation for general Laplace type operators, acting on sections of a vector bundle. We also obtain similar results for the heat kernel, although in this case, one has to restrict to metrics satisfying a certain smoothness condition at the boundary. One of the most important manipulations one would like to do with path integrals is taking their asymptotic expansions; in the case of the heat kernel, this is the short time asymptotic expansion. In order to use time-slicing approximation here, one needs the approximation to be uniform in the time parameter. We show that this is possible by giving strong error estimates. Finally, we apply these results to obtain short time asymptotic expansions of the heat kernel also in degenerate cases (i.e. at the cut locus). Furthermore, our results allow to relate the asymptotic expansion of the heat kernel to a formal asymptotic expansion of the infinite-dimensional path integral, which gives relations between geometric quantities on the manifold and on the loop space. In particular, we show that the lowest order term in the asymptotic expansion of the heat kernel is essentially given by the Fredholm determinant of the Hessian of the energy functional. We also investigate how this relates to the zeta-regularized determinant of the Jacobi operator along minimizing geodesics.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ludewig, Matthias"],"institution":"Universität Potsdam","degree_name":null,"degree_level":"thesis.doctoral","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Bär, Christian"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-07-13","date_published":"2016-07-13","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:51:54Z","subjects":["heat equation","heat kernel","path integral","determinant","asymptotic expansion","Laplace expansion","heat asymptotics","Wiener measure","Wärmeleitungsgleichung","Wärmekern","Pfadintegrale","asymptotische Entwicklung","Determinante"],"languages":[],"rights":["CC-BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/9438","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"source_url"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Bär, Christian"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ludewig, Matthias"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Universität Potsdam"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["doctoralThesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["thesis.doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Universität Potsdam"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["heat equation","heat kernel","path integral","determinant","asymptotic expansion","Laplace expansion","heat asymptotics","Wiener measure","Wärmeleitungsgleichung","Wärmekern","Pfadintegrale","asymptotische Entwicklung","Determinante"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["CC-BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["It is \"scientific folklore\" coming from physical heuristics that solutions to the heat equation on a Riemannian manifold can be represented by a path integral. However, the problem with such path integrals is that they are notoriously ill-defined. One way to make them rigorous (which is often applied in physics) is finite-dimensional approximation, or time-slicing approximation: Given a fine partition of the time interval into small subintervals, one restricts the integration domain to paths that are geodesic on each subinterval of the partition. These finite-dimensional integrals are well-defined, and the (infinite-dimensional) path integral then is defined as the limit of these (suitably normalized) integrals, as the mesh of the partition tends to zero. In this thesis, we show that indeed, solutions to the heat equation on a general compact Riemannian manifold with boundary are given by such time-slicing path integrals. Here we consider the heat equation for general Laplace type operators, acting on sections of a vector bundle. We also obtain similar results for the heat kernel, although in this case, one has to restrict to metrics satisfying a certain smoothness condition at the boundary. One of the most important manipulations one would like to do with path integrals is taking their asymptotic expansions; in the case of the heat kernel, this is the short time asymptotic expansion. In order to use time-slicing approximation here, one needs the approximation to be uniform in the time parameter. We show that this is possible by giving strong error estimates. Finally, we apply these results to obtain short time asymptotic expansions of the heat kernel also in degenerate cases (i.e. at the cut locus). Furthermore, our results allow to relate the asymptotic expansion of the heat kernel to a formal asymptotic expansion of the infinite-dimensional path integral, which gives relations between geometric quantities on the manifold and on the loop space. In particular, we show that the lowest order term in the asymptotic expansion of the heat kernel is essentially given by the Fredholm determinant of the Hessian of the energy functional. We also investigate how this relates to the zeta-regularized determinant of the Jacobi operator along minimizing geodesics.","Es ist \"wissenschaftliche Folklore\", abgeleitet von der physikalischen Anschauung, dass Lösungen der Wärmeleitungsgleichung auf einer riemannschen Mannigfaltigkeit als Pfadintegrale dargestellt werden können. Das Problem mit Pfadintegralen ist allerdings, dass schon deren Definition Mathematiker vor gewisse Probleme stellt. Eine Möglichkeit, Pfadintegrale rigoros zu definieren ist endlich-dimensionale Approximation, oder time-slicing-Approximation: Für eine gegebene Unterteilung des Zeitintervals in kleine Teilintervalle schränkt man den Integrationsbereich auf diejenigen Pfade ein, die auf jedem Teilintervall geodätisch sind. Diese endlichdimensionalen Integrale sind wohldefiniert, und man definiert das (unendlichdimensionale) Pfadintegral als den Limes dieser (passend normierten) Integrale, wenn die Feinheit der Unterteilung gegen Null geht. In dieser Arbeit wird gezeigt, dass Lösungen der Wärmeleitungsgleichung auf einer allgemeinen riemannschen Mannigfaltigkeit tatsächlich durch eine solche endlichdimensionale Approximation gegeben sind. Hierbei betrachten wir die Wärmeleitungsgleichung für allgemeine Operatoren von Laplace-Typ, die auf Schnitten in Vektorbündeln wirken. Wir zeigen auch ähnliche Resultate für den Wärmekern, wobei wir uns allerdings auf Metriken einschränken müssen, die eine gewisse Glattheitsbedingung am Rand erfüllen. Eine der wichtigsten Manipulationen, die man an Pfadintegralen vornehmen möchte, ist das Bilden ihrer asymptotischen Entwicklungen; in Falle des Wärmekerns ist dies die Kurzzeitasymptotik. Um die endlich-dimensionale Approximation hier nutzen zu können, ist es nötig, dass die Approximation uniform im Zeitparameter ist. Dies kann in der Tat erreicht werden; zu diesem Zweck geben wir starke Fehlerabschätzungen an. Schließlich wenden wir diese Resultate an, um die Kurzzeitasymptotik des Wärmekerns (auch im degenerierten Fall, d.h. am Schittort) herzuleiten. Unsere Resultate machen es außerdem möglich, die asymptotische Entwicklung des Wärmekerns mit einer formalen asymptotischen Entwicklung der unendlichdimensionalen Pfadintegrale in Verbindung zu bringen. Auf diese Weise erhält man Beziehungen zwischen geometrischen Größen der zugrundeliegenden Mannigfaltigkeit und solchen des Pfadraumes. Insbesondere zeigen wir, dass der Term niedrigster Ordnung in der asymptotischen Entwicklung des Wärmekerns im Wesentlichen durch die Fredholm-Determinante der Hesseschen des Energie-Funktionals gegeben ist. Weiterhin untersuchen wir die Verbindung zur zeta-regularisierten Determinante des Jakobi-Operators entlang von minimierenden Geodätischen."]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Path integrals on manifolds with boundary and their asymptotic expansions","Pfadintegrale auf Mannigfaltigkeiten mit Rand und ihre asymptotischen Entwicklungen"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Bär, Christian"],"dc:creator":["Ludewig, Matthias"],"dc:description.abstract":["It is \"scientific folklore\" coming from physical heuristics that solutions to the heat equation on a Riemannian manifold can be represented by a path integral. However, the problem with such path integrals is that they are notoriously ill-defined. One way to make them rigorous (which is often applied in physics) is finite-dimensional approximation, or time-slicing approximation: Given a fine partition of the time interval into small subintervals, one restricts the integration domain to paths that are geodesic on each subinterval of the partition. These finite-dimensional integrals are well-defined, and the (infinite-dimensional) path integral then is defined as the limit of these (suitably normalized) integrals, as the mesh of the partition tends to zero. In this thesis, we show that indeed, solutions to the heat equation on a general compact Riemannian manifold with boundary are given by such time-slicing path integrals. Here we consider the heat equation for general Laplace type operators, acting on sections of a vector bundle. We also obtain similar results for the heat kernel, although in this case, one has to restrict to metrics satisfying a certain smoothness condition at the boundary. One of the most important manipulations one would like to do with path integrals is taking their asymptotic expansions; in the case of the heat kernel, this is the short time asymptotic expansion. In order to use time-slicing approximation here, one needs the approximation to be uniform in the time parameter. We show that this is possible by giving strong error estimates. Finally, we apply these results to obtain short time asymptotic expansions of the heat kernel also in degenerate cases (i.e. at the cut locus). Furthermore, our results allow to relate the asymptotic expansion of the heat kernel to a formal asymptotic expansion of the infinite-dimensional path integral, which gives relations between geometric quantities on the manifold and on the loop space. In particular, we show that the lowest order term in the asymptotic expansion of the heat kernel is essentially given by the Fredholm determinant of the Hessian of the energy functional. We also investigate how this relates to the zeta-regularized determinant of the Jacobi operator along minimizing geodesics.","Es ist \"wissenschaftliche Folklore\", abgeleitet von der physikalischen Anschauung, dass Lösungen der Wärmeleitungsgleichung auf einer riemannschen Mannigfaltigkeit als Pfadintegrale dargestellt werden können. Das Problem mit Pfadintegralen ist allerdings, dass schon deren Definition Mathematiker vor gewisse Probleme stellt. Eine Möglichkeit, Pfadintegrale rigoros zu definieren ist endlich-dimensionale Approximation, oder time-slicing-Approximation: Für eine gegebene Unterteilung des Zeitintervals in kleine Teilintervalle schränkt man den Integrationsbereich auf diejenigen Pfade ein, die auf jedem Teilintervall geodätisch sind. Diese endlichdimensionalen Integrale sind wohldefiniert, und man definiert das (unendlichdimensionale) Pfadintegral als den Limes dieser (passend normierten) Integrale, wenn die Feinheit der Unterteilung gegen Null geht. In dieser Arbeit wird gezeigt, dass Lösungen der Wärmeleitungsgleichung auf einer allgemeinen riemannschen Mannigfaltigkeit tatsächlich durch eine solche endlichdimensionale Approximation gegeben sind. Hierbei betrachten wir die Wärmeleitungsgleichung für allgemeine Operatoren von Laplace-Typ, die auf Schnitten in Vektorbündeln wirken. Wir zeigen auch ähnliche Resultate für den Wärmekern, wobei wir uns allerdings auf Metriken einschränken müssen, die eine gewisse Glattheitsbedingung am Rand erfüllen. Eine der wichtigsten Manipulationen, die man an Pfadintegralen vornehmen möchte, ist das Bilden ihrer asymptotischen Entwicklungen; in Falle des Wärmekerns ist dies die Kurzzeitasymptotik. Um die endlich-dimensionale Approximation hier nutzen zu können, ist es nötig, dass die Approximation uniform im Zeitparameter ist. Dies kann in der Tat erreicht werden; zu diesem Zweck geben wir starke Fehlerabschätzungen an. Schließlich wenden wir diese Resultate an, um die Kurzzeitasymptotik des Wärmekerns (auch im degenerierten Fall, d.h. am Schittort) herzuleiten. Unsere Resultate machen es außerdem möglich, die asymptotische Entwicklung des Wärmekerns mit einer formalen asymptotischen Entwicklung der unendlichdimensionalen Pfadintegrale in Verbindung zu bringen. Auf diese Weise erhält man Beziehungen zwischen geometrischen Größen der zugrundeliegenden Mannigfaltigkeit und solchen des Pfadraumes. Insbesondere zeigen wir, dass der Term niedrigster Ordnung in der asymptotischen Entwicklung des Wärmekerns im Wesentlichen durch die Fredholm-Determinante der Hesseschen des Energie-Funktionals gegeben ist. Weiterhin untersuchen wir die Verbindung zur zeta-regularisierten Determinante des Jakobi-Operators entlang von minimierenden Geodätischen."],"dc:format.medium":["application/pdf"],"dc:publisher":["Universität Potsdam"],"dc:rights":["CC-BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International"],"dc:subject":["heat equation","heat kernel","path integral","determinant","asymptotic expansion","Laplace expansion","heat asymptotics","Wiener measure","Wärmeleitungsgleichung","Wärmekern","Pfadintegrale","asymptotische Entwicklung","Determinante"],"dc:title":["Path integrals on manifolds with boundary and their asymptotic expansions","Pfadintegrale auf Mannigfaltigkeiten mit Rand und ihre asymptotischen Entwicklungen"],"dc:type":["doctoralThesis"],"thesis:degree_level":["thesis.doctoral"],"thesis:institution_name":["Universität Potsdam"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:51:54Z"}