Physics Asked on March 3, 2021
In Condensed Matter Field Theory (page 288) by Altland and Simons, there is one mathematical formula:
begin{equation}
sum_mathbf{p} left(mathbf{p}boldsymbol{cdot}mathbf{v}right)left(mathbf{p}boldsymbol{cdot}mathbf{v}’right)Fleft(mathbf{p}^2right)boldsymbol{=}dfrac{mathbf{v}boldsymbol{cdot}mathbf{v}’}{d}sum_mathbf{p}:mathbf{p}^2Fleft(mathbf{p}^2right)
tag{01}label{01}
end{equation}
Here, $mathbf{p}$ is the momentum, and $mathbf{v}$ and $mathbf{v}’$ are vectors. $Fleft(mathbf{p}^2right)$ is a function of momentum which is invariant under rotational transformations; $d$ is the dimension considered (e.g., $d=3$ in $x,y,z$ coordinate system).
My question is how to arrive at this formula?
Mathematically, this formula seems not correct. For example, imagine a summation over only $mathbf{p}boldsymbol{=}mathbf{p}_0$ and imagine $mathbf{v}$ and $mathbf{v}’$ being orthogonal: then the left hand side is $left(mathbf{p}_0boldsymbol{cdot}mathbf{v}right)left(mathbf{p}_0boldsymbol{cdot}mathbf{v}’right)Fleft(mathbf{p}_0^2right)$ which can be non zero, while the right hand side is zero because $left(mathbf{v}boldsymbol{cdot}mathbf{v}’right)boldsymbol{=}0$. I am wondering if there are some arguments in physics to "prove" this formula. For example, if the summation is replaced by an integration over the whole reciprocal space of momentum p with d dimension, will the formula stand?
The formula holds, because there is a sum over all ${bf p}$. After that sum is performed, ${bf v}cdot{bf v}'$ is essentially the only vector structure that is consistent with rotation symmetry.
To prove the formula, first rewrite it so that the ${bf v}$ and ${bf v}$' are outside the sum: $$sum_{{bf p}}({bf p}cdot{bf v})({bf p}cdot{bf v}')F(p^{2})= sum_{j=1}^{d}v_{j}sum_{j=1}^{d}v_{k}'sum_{{bf p}}p_{j}p_{k}F(p^{2}).$$
Now look just at the final sum, $sum_{{bf p}}p_{j}p_{k}F(p^{2})$. Consider holding the index $j$ fixed (say $j=1$) and varying $k$. If $kneq j$ (say $j=2$) then for every term in the sum with ${bf p}=(p_{j},p_{k},p_{3})$, there is another term in the sum with ${bf p}'=(p_{j},-p_{k},p_{3})$. Since the sum terms $p_{j}p_{k}F(p^{2})$ and $p_{j}'p_{k}'F(p'^{2})$ are equal in magnitude but opposite in sign, they will cancel; and, if fact, every term in the sum will be canceled by a similar one with an inverted $p_{k}rightarrow p_{k}'=-p_{k}$. Thus, the sum is $sum_{{bf p}}p_{j}p_{k}F(p^{2})=0$ if $jneq k$.
The expression $sum_{{bf p}}p_{j}p_{k}F(p^{2})$ transforms like a two-index tensor. (Any product of the components of two vectors ${bf u}$ and ${bf w}$ along with a scalar $phi$—that is, $u_{j}w_{k}phi$—transforms this way. The sum of interest is then just a sum of tensors that transform this way and so transforms this way itself.) The only two-tensor that has components that are nonzero only for $j=k$ is one that is proportional to the identity, with components $delta_{jk}$. [This is essentially just a long-winded way of saying that, since there is no preferred direction, $sum_{{bf p}}p_{1}p_{1}F(p^{2}) =sum_{{bf p}}p_{2}p_{2}F(p^{2})=sum_{{bf p}}p_{3}p_{3}F(p^{2})$.] So we must have $sum_{{bf p}}p_{j}p_{k}F(p^{2})$ be a scalar function times $delta_{jk}$, $$sum_{{bf p}}p_{j}p_{k}F(p^{2})=delta_{jk}G,$$ which leaves us to find $G$.
To get the scalar $G$, we contract the tensor with another $delta_{jk}$, or $$sum_{j=1}^{d}sum_{k=1}^{d}delta_{jk}sum_{{bf p}}p_{j}p_{k}F(p^{2})=sum_{j=1}^{d}sum_{k=1}^{d}delta_{jk}delta_{jk}G,$$ which reduces to $$sum_{{bf p}}p^{2}F(p^{2})=dG,$$ since $sum_{j=1}^{d}sum_{k=1}^{d}delta_{jk}delta_{jk}$ is just the dimensionality of space $d$.
Then it is just a matter of inserting this expression into the earlier ones and working backwards. Solving for $G$, we have $$sum_{{bf p}}p_{j}p_{k}F(p^{2})=delta_{jk}G=delta_{jk}frac{1}{d}sum_{{bf p}}p^{2}F(p^{2}).$$ Then inserting this into the original expression with $v_{j}$ and $v_{k}'$ gives $$sum_{j=1}^{d}v_{j}sum_{j=1}^{d}v_{k}'sum_{{bf p}}p_{j}p_{k}F(p^{2})= sum_{j=1}^{d}v_{j}sum_{j=1}^{d}v_{k}'delta_{jk}frac{1}{d}sum_{{bf p}}p^{2}F(p^{2}),$$ and collecting this in component-free form gives the final expression $$sum_{{bf p}}({bf p}cdot{bf v})({bf p}cdot{bf v}')F(p^{2})=frac{1}{d}{bf v}cdot{bf v}'sum_{{bf p}}p^{2}F(p^{2}).$$
Correct answer by Buzz on March 3, 2021
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