Validity of Feynman’s prescription of disregarding the Pauli principle in intermediate states

F. A. B. Coutinho, Y. Nogami, and Lauro Tomio
Phys. Rev. A 59, 2624 – Published 1 April 1999
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Abstract

Regarding the Pauli principle in quantum field theory and in many-body quantum mechanics, Feynman advocated that Pauli’s exclusion principle can be completely ignored in intermediate states of perturbation theory. He observed that all virtual processes (of the same order) that violate the Pauli principle cancel out. Feynman accordingly introduced a prescription, which is to disregard the Pauli principle in all intermediate processes. This ingenious trick is of crucial importance in the Feynman diagram technique. We show, however, an example in which Feynman’s prescription fails. This casts doubts on the general validity of Feynman’s prescription.

  • Received 1 October 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.59.2624

©1999 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

F. A. B. Coutinho1, Y. Nogami2,3, and Lauro Tomio3

  • 1Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Dr. Arnaldo 455, 01246-903 São Paulo, Brazil
  • 2Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M1
  • 3Instituto de Física Teórica, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rua Pamplona 145, 01405-900 São Paulo, Brazil

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Issue

Vol. 59, Iss. 4 — April 1999

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