Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

MAT 204
MONTHLY ASSIGNMENT (Marks 20) LateX
Bonus 5 Marks. Total 25 Marks
Deadline : May 12, 2021

0.0.1 Problem 1
Using contour integrals and the idea of the Fourier transformation one can find the
inverse of a differential operator which is popularly known as the Green’s function.
For example if we consider the differential equation
d2 x
2
+ ω 2 x = f (t) (1)
dt
Then the way to obtain the Green’s function will be to change the basis using the
Fourier transformation of x(t) defined as
Z ∞
x(k) = x(t)e−ikt dt (2)
−∞

and for that to happen one needs to replace the f (t) on equation 1 with the Dirac
1
Delta function δ(x).(Note that here we ignore the factor 2π that comes with this
transform). So after doing these the equation in 1 will look like
 2 
d 2
+ ω G(t) = δ(t) (3)
dt2

1. Now using the Fourier transformation on both sides of equation 3 and using
the definition of delta function
Z ∞
δ(t) = e−ikt dk
−∞

show that
1
G(k) = (4)
−k 2
+ ω2
where G(k) is the Fourier transform of G(t)
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2. Now considering the integral
Z ∞
G(t) = G(k)eikt dk
−∞

find G(t). (What you did here is known as inverse Fourier transform.)

3. Now consider the Fourier transform of x(t) defined in equation 2 and show
that
f (k)
x(k) =
−k 2 + ω 2
4. Now using the inverse transformation that you saw in part(2), show that the
solution of this differential equation will be
Z ∞ ikt
e f (k)
x(t) = 2 2
dk
−∞ −k + ω

where f (k) is just the Fourier transformation of f (t)

5. Now take f (t) = 2 and using results from part (4), find x(t).

0.0.2 Problem 2
Determinant of a differential operator is an interesting thing to calculate for vari-
ous reasons. Specially in one loop correction to effective potential in quantum field
theories. So lets consider a differntial operator as

∂2
 
2
H = −2 + − + b (5)
∂ξ ∂ξ

These ξ + , ξ − are just some coordinates like our familiar Carteisan coordinates x
and y. We want to see see the determinant of of this operator. By the method of
Heat Kernels we get he determinant of the differential operator as
Z ∞
ds
T r e−isH


ln(det H) = − (6)
0 s
Now this looks very complicated to calculate. But using contour integrals, we
can make some progress. For that we will need the Green function for the operator
in equation 5. It is given by
X Z dp+ dp− exp −ip− ξ + − e2πQ`s n ξ +0 − ip+ ξ − − e−2πQ`s n ξ −0 + 2πQ`s ns




0 2


Gs ξ, ξ ; b =
n
(2π)2 −2p+ p− + b2 − i
(7)

1. Consider the integral

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where z can be compared with i in 7. Now using the definition ofGs (ξ, ξ 0 ; b2 ),
evaluate this to show that
X Z dp+ dp−
+ −
 2 
I1 = exp −it b − 2p p
n
(2π)2 (8)
+ −ip− ξ + 1 − e2πQ`s n − ip+ ξ − 1 − e−2πQ`s n + 2πQ`s ns .




2
2. Take I1 = e−itH(ξ,ξ) . Now ignore the terms e−itb and 2πQ`s ns in equation 8.
Finally using the substitution

A = e2π`s Qn
B = e−2π`s Qn

show that
dp+ dp−
Z
I1 = exp(−2ip+ p− t − ip− ξ + A − iBp+ ξ − ) (9)
(2π)2

3. It is possible to evaluate this integral and once one is done with that one gets

ξ−ξ+
X 1  
−itHs 2 2πQ`s n −2πQ`s n



e (ξ, ξ) = exp −itb − i 1−e 1−e + 2πQ`s ns
n
(2π)2t 2t
(10)

where the once ignored terms from part(2) have been restored with A and
B.Now sing the exponential definitions of sinh2 x, show that the right hand
side of equation 10 is

ξ−ξ+
X 1  
2 2
exp −itb + 2i sinh (πQ`s n) + 2πQ`s ns
n
(2π)2t t

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