Edge-of-the-wedge Theorem - Application To Quantum Field Theory

Application To Quantum Field Theory

In quantum field theory the Wightman distributions are boundary values of Wightman functions W(z1, ..., zn) depending on variables zi in the complexification of Minkowski spacetime. They are defined and holomorphic in the wedge where the imaginary part of each zi−zi−1 lies in the open positive timelike cone. By permuting the variables we get n! different Wightman functions defined in n! different wedges. By applying the edge-of-the-wedge theorem (with the edge given by the set of totally spacelike points) one can deduce that the Wightman functions are all analytic continuations of the same holomorphic function, defined on a connected region containing all n! wedges. (The equality of the boundary values on the edge that we need to apply the edge-of-the-wedge theorem follows from the locality axiom of quantum field theory.)

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