Gaussian white noise analysis and its application to Feynman path integral

Abstract

In applied science, Gaussian white noise (the time derivative of Brownian motion) is often chosen as a mathematical idealization of phenomena involving sudden and extremely large fluctuations. It is also possible to define and study Gaussian white noise in a mathematically rigorous framework. In this survey paper we review the Gaussian white noise as an object in an infinite dimensional topological vector space. A brief construction of Gaussian white noise space and Gaussian white noise distributions will be presented. Gaussian white noise analysis provides a framework which offers various generalization of concept known from finite dimensional analysis to the infinite dimensional case, among them are differential operators, Fourier transform, and distribution theory. We will also present some recent developments and results on the application of Gaussian white noise theory to Feynman’s path integral approach for quantum mechanics.