In mathematical physics, the Berezin integral, named after Felix Berezin, (also known as Grassmann integral, after Hermann Grassmann), is a way to define integration for functions of Grassmann variables (elements of the exterior algebra). It is not an integral in the Lebesgue sense; the word "integral" is used because the Berezin integral has properties analogous to the Lebesgue integral and because it extends the path integral in physics, where it is used as a sum over histories for fermions.

Definition

Let \Lambda^n be the exterior algebra of polynomials in anticommuting elements over the field of complex numbers. (The ordering of the generators is fixed and defines the orientation of the exterior algebra.)

One variable

The Berezin integral over the sole Grassmann variable is defined to be a linear functional where we define so that : These properties define the integral uniquely and imply Take note that is the most general function of \theta because Grassmann variables square to zero, so f(\theta) cannot have non-zero terms beyond linear order.

Multiple variables

The Berezin integral on \Lambda^{n} is defined to be the unique linear functional with the following properties: for any where means the left or the right partial derivative. These properties define the integral uniquely. Notice that different conventions exist in the literature: Some authors define instead The formula expresses the Fubini law. On the right-hand side, the interior integral of a monomial is set to be where ; the integral of vanishes. The integral with respect to \theta_{2} is calculated in the similar way and so on.

Change of Grassmann variables

Let be odd polynomials in some antisymmetric variables. The Jacobian is the matrix where refers to the right derivative. The formula for the coordinate change reads

Integrating even and odd variables

Definition

Consider now the algebra of functions of real commuting variables and of anticommuting variables (which is called the free superalgebra of dimension (m|n)). Intuitively, a function is a function of m even (bosonic, commuting) variables and of n odd (fermionic, anti-commuting) variables. More formally, an element is a function of the argument x that varies in an open set with values in the algebra Suppose that this function is continuous and vanishes in the complement of a compact set The Berezin integral is the number

Change of even and odd variables

Let a coordinate transformation be given by where x_i are even and \theta_j are odd polynomials of \xi depending on even variables y. The Jacobian matrix of this transformation has the block form: where each even derivative commutes with all elements of the algebra ; the odd derivatives commute with even elements and anticommute with odd elements. The entries of the diagonal blocks and are even and the entries of the off-diagonal blocks are odd functions, where again mean right derivatives. When the function D is invertible in So we have the Berezinian (or superdeterminant) of the matrix \mathrm{J}, which is the even function Suppose that the real functions define a smooth invertible map F:Y\to X of open sets X, Y in \R^m and the linear part of the map is invertible for each y\in Y. The general transformation law for the Berezin integral reads where ) is the sign of the orientation of the map F. The superposition is defined in the obvious way, if the functions do not depend on \xi. In the general case, we write where are even nilpotent elements of and set where the Taylor series is finite.

Useful formulas

The following formulas for Gaussian integrals are used often in the path integral formulation of quantum field theory: with A being a complex n \times n matrix. with M being a complex skew-symmetric n \times n matrix, and being the Pfaffian of M, which fulfills. In the above formulas the notation is used. From these formulas, other useful formulas follow (See Appendix A in ) : with A being an invertible n \times n matrix. Note that these integrals are all in the form of a partition function.

History

Berezin integral was probably first presented by David John Candlin in 1956. Later it was independently discovered by Felix Berezin in 1966. Unfortunately Candlin's article failed to attract notice, and has been buried in oblivion. Berezin's work came to be widely known, and has almost been cited universally, becoming an indispensable tool to treat quantum field theory of fermions by functional integral. Other authors contributed to these developments, including the physicists Khalatnikov (although his paper contains mistakes), Matthews and Salam, and Martin.

Footnote