Quantum Mechanics and Representation Theory: The New Synthesis

Abstract

Quantum mechanics and representation theory, in the sense of unitary representations of groups on Hilbert spaces, were practically born together between 1925–1927, and have continued to enrich each other till the present day. Following a brief historical introduction, we focus on a relatively new aspect of the interaction between quantum mechanics and representation theory, based on the use of K-theory of C*-algebras. In particular, the study of the K-theory of the reduced C*-algebra of a locally compact group (which for a compact group is just its representation ring) has culminated in two fundamental conjectures, which are closely related to quantum theory and index theory, namely the Baum–Connes conjecture and the Guillemin–Sternberg conjecture. Although these conjectures were both formulated in 1982, and turn out to be closely related, so far there has been no interplay between them whatsoever, either mathematically or sociologically. This is presumably because the Baum–Connes conjecture is nontrivial only for noncompact groups, with current emphasis entirely on discrete groups, whereas the Guillemin–Sternberg conjecture has so far only been stated for compact Lie groups. As an elementary introduction to both conjectures in one go, indicating how the latter can be generalized to the noncompact case, this paper is a modest attempt to change this state of affairs.