Abstract
The integral representation of the Feynman propagator is derived in Minkowski space-time and in curved space-time. In the latter case, it is necessary to introduce Schwinger’s formalism, which makes it possible to express the Feynman propagator as the matrix element of a suitable operator between vectors of an abstract Hilbert space. On using the WKB approximation, the Schwinger-DeWitt asymptotic expansion of the Feynman propagator involves coefficients which depend on the curvature of the background four-geometry. This analysis enables one to describe the ultraviolet divergences of the perturbative theory.
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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Esposito, G., Kamenshchik, A.Y., Pollifrone, G. (1997). Schwinger-DeWitt Asymptotic Expansion. In: Euclidean Quantum Gravity on Manifolds with Boundary. Fundamental Theories of Physics, vol 85. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5806-0_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5806-0_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6452-1
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-5806-0
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