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I would like to understand the following problem:

You have a classical fermion in one dimension. It has no mass, and no interactions. One can write its action as follows:

$$S=\int_{\mathbb{R}}dtL(\theta,\dot{\theta})=\int_{\mathbb{R}}dt\theta(t)\dot{\theta}(t),$$

where $\theta(t)^{2}=0$.

This is just a $0+1$ dimensional analog of the Dirac spinor $\int d^{4}x\bar{\psi}i\gamma^{\mu}\partial_{\mu}\psi$.

This theory has some peculiar features:

First, since the Grassmann variable $\theta(t)$ transforms like a world-line scalar, the theory is of first-order, and is invariant under time-reparametrization, just like a relativistic bosonic particle $\int d\tau\sqrt{|\dot{x}|^{2}}$.

Second, because it has diffeomorphism invariance, its canonical Hamiltonian vanishes (both on-shell and off-shell). One can check:

$$\pi=L\frac{\overleftarrow{\partial}}{\partial\dot{\theta}}=\theta,$$

and so

$$H=\pi\dot{\theta}-L=\pi\dot{\theta}-\pi\dot{\theta}\equiv 0.$$

Unlike in the bosonic case where one can use the einbein and apply Dirac's method for constrained systems, here there's no primary constraints to start with.

My question: How to eliminate this gauge redundancy of time-reparametrization in canonical quantization?

In the bosonic case, one may try the Polyakov action

$$S=\frac{1}{2}\int d\lambda\sqrt{g}g^{-1}\dot{x}\vphantom{x}^{\mu}\dot{x}\vphantom{x}_{\mu}.$$

The canonical momenta are given by

$$p_{\mu}=\frac{\dot{x}\vphantom{x}_{\mu}}{\sqrt{g}},\quad\quad \pi_{g}=\frac{\partial L}{\partial\dot{g}}=0.$$

So the primary constraint is given by $\phi_{1}=\pi_{g}=0$

The canonical Hamiltonian is

$$H=p_{\mu}\dot{x}\vphantom{x}^{\mu}+\pi_{g}\dot{g}-L=\frac{\sqrt{g}}{2}p^{2}.$$

Adding the primary constraint, the primary Hamiltonian is given by

$$H_{p}=H+\lambda_{1}\phi_{1}=\frac{\sqrt{g}}{2}p^{2}+\lambda_{1}\pi_{g}.$$

Then, the equation

$$\dot{\phi}_{1}=\left\{\phi_{1},H_{p}\right\}=0$$

produces a secondary constraint

$$\phi_{2}=H=0.$$

One can check that $\phi_{1}$ and $\phi_{2}$ are first class constraints and there're no further constraints. Then, one can add gauge fixing conditions so that all constraints become second class constraints, and the time evolution in phase space would be

$$\dot{F}=\left\{F,H_{p}\right\}_{PB}=\left\{F,H\right\}_{DB},$$

where in the last step one replaces the Poisson bracket by the Dirac bracekt.

In the fermionic case,

$$S=\int_{\mathbb{R}}dt\theta(t)\dot{\theta}(t)$$

the only primary constraint one can find from the Lagrangian is

$$\phi=\pi-\theta=0,$$

which is second class because the phase space is of Grassmann odd variables. The Poisson bracket in this case takes the form

$$\left\{F,G\right\}_{PB}=F\left(\frac{\overleftarrow{\partial}}{\partial\theta}\frac{\overrightarrow{\partial}}{\partial\pi}+\frac{\overleftarrow{\partial}}{\partial\pi}\frac{\overrightarrow{\partial}}{\partial\theta}\right)G.$$

The other first class constraint $H=0$ which generates time-reparametrization is trivial. There's nothing one can do about the equation $H=0$ following Dirac's algorithm because $H$ doesn't take any specific form.


Just in case:

I am not doing Berezin integrals

$$\int d\theta\theta=1.$$

Before you vote to close a question, make sure you understand what he is asking.

If any person is still confused by the odd differential form $\theta\dot{\theta}dt$, please read this answer by Qmechanics. It's just the odd symplectic one-form. I truly don't know what other details I can add.


If anyone is still confused by what I am asking, please click this link of "A Lagrangian formulation of the classical and quantum dynamics of spinning particles" by L. Brink, P. Di Vecchia, and P. Howe. On page 80, section 3, the author considered a massless spinning particle

$$L=\frac{|\dot{x}(\tau)|^{2}}{e(\tau)}-i\psi\dot{\psi}-\frac{i}{e(\tau)}\chi(\tau)\dot{x}\psi.$$

This theory has both bosonic and fermionic degrees of freedom. It is invariant under time reparametrization, and is super-gauge invariant.

What I am doing here, is just considering the pure fermionic degrees of freedom. I missed a factor $\sqrt{-1}$ in my Lagrangian which makes it real, but it's not a big issue.

I just want to make it clear:

$$\int dtL$$

has nothing to do with Berezin integral. My question has nothing to do with path-integral quantization of fermions.

Valac
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    Why didn't you just edit your original post with this question instead of antagonizing the commenters who were trying to help you make your question more clear? It might be clear to you what you meant, but part of the art of scientific communication (including writing papers that referees will read!) is to write so that others can understand. Another part of the art is being able to put aside one's defensiveness and take constructive criticism (like from referees!) as an opportunity to improve your writing. Also, answerers here volunteer their time. Why fight so much? – march Oct 23 '23 at 18:28
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    Does this answer your question? The Innocent Massless Free Fermion – march Oct 23 '23 at 18:28
  • @march the commenters from my previous post refused to tell me what details I needed to clarify. I already added everything I could possibly think of but someone just repeat the same question that is totally irrelevant to my original question. – Valac Oct 23 '23 at 18:32
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    @march by the way, why would labelling it as duplicated solve my question? My original question was voted to be closed without any answers. I've already edited my original post many times but still received no meaningful feedbacks. – Valac Oct 23 '23 at 18:40
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    I can't evaluate the other commenters' statements or your posts: I don't know much about this stuff you're posting, but I will say that this newer version you posted seemed much clearer, cleaner, and seemed to address some of the comments that they made, so I'm not sure why you didn't just edit that post with the details in this one. That's the expectation around here, and you can always ask to reopen a closed post. In a comment on the previous post, you said you'd make a new post if the old one was closed, so you are knowingly not following the rules. That's not operating in good faith. – march Oct 24 '23 at 01:23
  • @march I will not violate any rules or my natural rights by not asking to reopen my old post. I'll just leave everything intact here, and eventually people will see who's been spamming all the time by leaving totally irrelevant comments eventhough I'd already explained multiple times both in my post and in the comment section that my question has absolutely nothing to do with Berezin integrals. If people can keep spamming in the comment section and vote to close before even understanding what I was talking about, why should I follow "the rules"? – Valac Oct 24 '23 at 03:08
  • @march "edit your original post with this question instead of antagonizing the commenters who were trying to help"——Just a few seconds after I posted my original question, someone deliberately edited my formula and made it totally nonsense. Then, comes a comment saying that my question is "1=0", "garbage in and garbage out". Okay, maybe I am not intelligent enough to ask a question here. I just explained politely to the commenter that someone maliciously edited my formula. Then, some other commenters joined the game saying he's surprised my post only received 1 downvote. – Valac Oct 24 '23 at 03:45
  • @march Then, I keep adding new details and realized that they mitakenly thought I was doing Berezin integrals. I made a new edition saying that my question has absolutely nothing to do with Berezin integrals. But did my effort make any difference? No, they kept saying irrelevant things about Berezin integrals, and voted to close my question. I made some new editions but it didn't work out. How come I be the one who's been "antagonizing" commenters? Wow, just wow! What a community! – Valac Oct 24 '23 at 03:46

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