- Title Pages
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Observers and time
- 3 Subjective images of time
- 4 Cultural images of time
- 5 Literary images of time
- 6 Objective images of time
- 7 Mathematical images of time
- 8 Illusionary images of time
- 9 Causal images of time
- 10 Physics and time
- 11 Biological time
- 12 The dimensions of time
- 13 The architecture of time
- 14 Absolute time
- 15 The reparametrization of time
- 16 Origins of relativity
- 17 Special relativity
- 18 Generalized transformations
- 19 General relativistic time
- 20 Time travel
- 21 Imaginary time
- 22 Irreversible time
- 23 Discrete time
- 24 Time and quanta
- 25 Temporal correlations
- 26 Time reversal
- 27 Quantized spacetime
- 28 Epilogue
- Appendix
- Bibliography
- Index
Imaginary time
Imaginary time
- Chapter:
- 21 Imaginary time
- Source:
- Images of Time
- Author(s):
George Jaroszkiewicz
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This chapter discusses the role of imaginary time in physics. It emphasizes the difference between imaginary (or complex path) time and complex time. Starting with Minkowski’s famous 1908 lecture, the chapter considers the effect of replacing real time with imaginary time in relativity, Schrodinger wave mechanics, particle propagators, and Green’s functions in quantum field theory. The chapter reviews the use of imaginary time in Feynman path integrals, quantum gravity, quantum thermodynamics, and black hole thermodynamics.
Keywords: Minkowski, imaginary time, complex time, wave mechanics, propagators, Green’s functions, path integrals, quantum gravity, quantum thermodynamics, black hole thermodynamics
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- Title Pages
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Observers and time
- 3 Subjective images of time
- 4 Cultural images of time
- 5 Literary images of time
- 6 Objective images of time
- 7 Mathematical images of time
- 8 Illusionary images of time
- 9 Causal images of time
- 10 Physics and time
- 11 Biological time
- 12 The dimensions of time
- 13 The architecture of time
- 14 Absolute time
- 15 The reparametrization of time
- 16 Origins of relativity
- 17 Special relativity
- 18 Generalized transformations
- 19 General relativistic time
- 20 Time travel
- 21 Imaginary time
- 22 Irreversible time
- 23 Discrete time
- 24 Time and quanta
- 25 Temporal correlations
- 26 Time reversal
- 27 Quantized spacetime
- 28 Epilogue
- Appendix
- Bibliography
- Index
