@cindex @code{clifford} (class)
@subsection Clifford algebra
+
+Clifford algebras are supported in two flavours: Dirac gamma
+matrices (more physical) and generic Clifford algebras (more
+mathematical).
+
@cindex @code{dirac_gamma()}
-Clifford algebra elements (also called Dirac gamma matrices, although GiNaC
-doesn't treat them as matrices) are designated as @samp{gamma~mu} and satisfy
-@samp{gamma~mu*gamma~nu + gamma~nu*gamma~mu = 2*eta~mu~nu} where @samp{eta~mu~nu}
-is the Minkowski metric tensor. Dirac gammas are constructed by the function
+@subsubsection Dirac gamma matrices
+Dirac gamma matrices (note that GiNaC doesn't treat them
+as matrices) are designated as @samp{gamma~mu} and satisfy
+@samp{gamma~mu*gamma~nu + gamma~nu*gamma~mu = 2*eta~mu~nu} where
+@samp{eta~mu~nu} is the Minkowski metric tensor. Dirac gammas are
+constructed by the function
@example
ex dirac_gamma(const ex & mu, unsigned char rl = 0);
@}
@end example
+@cindex @code{clifford_unit()}
+@subsubsection A generic Clifford algebra
+
+A generic Clifford algebra, i.e. a
+@tex
+$2^n$
+@end tex
+dimensional algebra with
+generators @samp{e~k} satisfying the identities
+@samp{e~i e~j + e~j e~i = B(i, j)} for some symmetric matrix (@code{metric})
+@math{B(i, j)}. Such generators are created by the function
+
+@example
+ ex clifford_unit(const ex & mu, const ex & metr, unsigned char rl = 0);
+@end example
+
+where @code{mu} should be a @code{varidx} class object indexing the
+generators, @code{metr} defines the metric @math{B(i, j)} and can be
+represented by a square @code{matrix}, @code{tensormetric} or @code{indexed} class
+object, optional parameter @code{rl} allows to distinguish different
+Clifford algebras (which will commute with each other). Note that the call
+@code{clifford_unit(mu, minkmetric())} creates something very close to
+@code{dirac_gamma(mu)}. The method @code{clifford::get_metric()} returns a
+metric defining this Clifford number.
+
+Individual generators of a Clifford algebra can be accessed in several
+ways. For example
+
+@example
+@{
+ ...
+ varidx nu(symbol("nu"), 3);
+ matrix M(3, 3) = 1, 0, 0,
+ 0,-1, 0,
+ 0, 0, 0;
+ ex e = clifford_unit(nu, M);
+ ex e0 = e.subs(nu == 0);
+ ex e1 = e.subs(nu == 1);
+ ex e2 = e.subs(nu == 2);
+ ...
+@}
+@end example
+
+will produce three generators of a Clifford algebra with properties
+@code{pow(e0, 2) = 1}, @code{pow(e1, 2) = -1} and @code{pow(e2, 2) = 0}.
+
+@cindex @code{lst_to_clifford()}
+A similar effect can be achieved from the function
+
+@example
+ ex lst_to_clifford(const ex & v, const ex & mu, const ex & metr,
+ unsigned char rl = 0);
+@end example
+
+which converts a list or vector @samp{v = (v~0, v~1, ..., v~n)} into
+the Clifford number @samp{v~0 e.0 + v~1 e.1 + ... + v~n e.n} with @samp{e.k}
+being created by @code{clifford_unit(mu, metr, rl)}. The previous code
+may be rewritten with the help of @code{lst_to_clifford()} as follows
+
+@example
+@{
+ ...
+ varidx nu(symbol("nu"), 3);
+ matrix M(3, 3) = 1, 0, 0,
+ 0,-1, 0,
+ 0, 0, 0;
+ ex e0 = lst_to_clifford(lst(1, 0, 0), nu, M);
+ ex e1 = lst_to_clifford(lst(0, 1, 0), nu, M);
+ ex e2 = lst_to_clifford(lst(0, 0, 1), nu, M);
+ ...
+@}
+@end example
+
+@cindex @code{clifford_to_lst()}
+There is the inverse function
+
+@example
+ lst clifford_to_lst(const ex & e, const ex & c, bool algebraic = true);
+@end example
+
+which takes an expression @code{e} and tries to find a list
+@samp{v = (v~0, v~1, ..., v~n)} such that @samp{e = v~0 c.0 + v~1 c.1 + ...
++ v~n c.n} with respect to the given Clifford units @code{c} and none of
+@samp{v~k} contains the Clifford units @code{c} (of course, this
+may be impossible). This function can use an @code{algebraic} method
+(default) or a symbolic one. With the @code{algebraic} method @samp{v~k} are calculated as
+@samp{(e c.k + c.k e)/pow(c.k, 2)}. If @samp{pow(c.k, 2) = 0} for some @samp{k}
+then the method will be automatically changed to symbolic. The same effect
+is obtained by the assignment (@code{algebraic = false}) in the procedure call.
+
+@cindex @code{clifford_prime()}
+@cindex @code{clifford_star()}
+@cindex @code{clifford_bar()}
+There are several functions for (anti-)automorphisms of Clifford algebras:
+
+@example
+ ex clifford_prime(const ex & e)
+ inline ex clifford_star(const ex & e) @{ return e.conjugate(); @}
+ inline ex clifford_bar(const ex & e) @{ return clifford_prime(e.conjugate()); @}
+@end example
+
+The automorphism of a Clifford algebra @code{clifford_prime()} simply
+changes signs of all Clifford units in the expression. The reversion
+of a Clifford algebra @code{clifford_star()} coincides with the
+@code{conjugate()} method and effectively reverses the order of Clifford
+units in any product. Finally the main anti-automorphism
+of a Clifford algebra @code{clifford_bar()} is the composition of the
+previous two, i.e. it makes the reversion and changes signs of all Clifford units
+in a product. These functions correspond to the notations
+@math{e'},
+@tex
+$e^*$
+@end tex
+and
+@tex
+$\overline{e}$
+@end tex
+used in Clifford algebra textbooks.
+
+@cindex @code{clifford_norm()}
+The function
+
+@example
+ ex clifford_norm(const ex & e);
+@end example
+
+@cindex @code{clifford_inverse()}
+calculates the norm of a Clifford number from the expression
+@tex
+$||e||^2 = e\overline{e}$
+@end tex
+. The inverse of a Clifford expression is returned
+by the function
+
+@example
+ ex clifford_inverse(const ex & e);
+@end example
+
+which calculates it as
+@tex
+$e^{-1} = e/||e||^2$
+@end tex
+. If
+@tex
+$||e|| = 0$
+@end tex
+then an exception is raised.
+
+@cindex @code{remove_dirac_ONE()}
+If a Clifford number happens to be a factor of
+@code{dirac_ONE()} then we can convert it to a ``real'' (non-Clifford)
+expression by the function
+
+@example
+ ex remove_dirac_ONE(const ex & e);
+@end example
+
+@cindex @code{canonicalize_clifford()}
+The function @code{canonicalize_clifford()} works for a
+generic Clifford algebra in a similar way as for Dirac gammas.
+
+The last provided function is
+
+@cindex @code{clifford_moebius_map()}
+@example
+ ex clifford_moebius_map(const ex & a, const ex & b, const ex & c,
+ const ex & d, const ex & v, const ex & G);
+@end example
+
+It takes a list or vector @code{v} and makes the Moebius
+(conformal or linear-fractional) transformation @samp{v ->
+(av+b)/(cv+d)} defined by the matrix @samp{[[a, b], [c, d]]}. The last
+parameter @code{G} defines the metric of the surrounding
+(pseudo-)Euclidean space. The returned value of this function is a list
+of components of the resulting vector.
+
@cindex @code{color} (class)
@subsection Color algebra
@item @code{Li(m, x)}
@tab classical polylogarithm as well as multiple polylogarithm
@cindex @code{Li()}
+@item @code{G(a, y)}
+@tab multiple polylogarithm
+@cindex @code{G()}
+@item @code{G(a, s, y)}
+@tab multiple polylogarithm with explicit signs for the imaginary parts
+@cindex @code{G()}
@item @code{S(n, p, x)}
@tab Nielsen's generalized polylogarithm
@cindex @code{S()}
polylogarithm and the multiple zeta value belong.
Everyone of these functions can also be written as a multiple polylogarithm with specific
parameters. This whole family of functions is therefore often referred to simply as
-multiple polylogarithms, containing @code{Li}, @code{H}, @code{S} and @code{zeta}.
+multiple polylogarithms, containing @code{Li}, @code{G}, @code{H}, @code{S} and @code{zeta}.
+The multiple polylogarithm itself comes in two variants: @code{Li} and @code{G}. While
+@code{Li} and @code{G} in principle represent the same function, the different
+notations are more natural to the series representation or the integral
+representation, respectively.
To facilitate the discussion of these functions we distinguish between indices and
arguments as parameters. In the table above indices are printed as @code{m}, @code{s},
-@code{n} or @code{p}, whereas arguments are printed as @code{x}.
+@code{n} or @code{p}, whereas arguments are printed as @code{x}, @code{a} and @code{y}.
To define a @code{Li}, @code{H} or @code{zeta} with a depth greater than one, you have to
pass a GiNaC @code{lst} for the indices @code{m} and @code{s}, and in the case of @code{Li}
-for the argument @code{x} as well.
+for the argument @code{x} as well. The parameter @code{a} of @code{G} must always be a @code{lst} containing
+the arguments in expanded form. If @code{G} is used with a third parameter @code{s}, @code{s} must
+have the same length as @code{a}. It contains then the signs of the imaginary parts of the arguments. If
+@code{s} is not given, the signs default to +1.
Note that @code{Li} and @code{zeta} are polymorphic in this respect. They can stand in for
the classical polylogarithm and Riemann's zeta function (if depth is one), as well as for
the multiple polylogarithm and the multiple zeta value, respectively. Note also, that
is reversed.
The functions only evaluate if the indices are integers greater than zero, except for the indices
-@code{s} in @code{zeta} and @code{m} in @code{H}. Since @code{s} will be interpreted as the sequence
-of signs for the corresponding indices @code{m}, it must contain 1 or -1, e.g.
+@code{s} in @code{zeta} and @code{G} as well as @code{m} in @code{H}. Since @code{s}
+will be interpreted as the sequence of signs for the corresponding indices
+@code{m} or the sign of the imaginary part for the
+corresponding arguments @code{a}, it must contain 1 or -1, e.g.
@code{zeta(lst(3,4), lst(-1,1))} means
@tex
-$\zeta(\overline{3},4)$.
+$\zeta(\overline{3},4)$
+@end tex
+and
+@code{G(lst(a,b), lst(-1,1), c)} means
+@tex
+$G(a-0\epsilon,b+0\epsilon;c)$.
@end tex
The definition of @code{H} allows indices to be 0, 1 or -1 (in expanded notation) or equally to
be any integer (in compact notation). With GiNaC expanded and compact notation can be mixed,
-Li(@{2,1@},@{x,-1@})*log(x)+2*Li(@{3,1@},@{x,-1@})+Li(@{2,2@},@{x,-1@})
@end example
-Every function apart from the multiple polylogarithm @code{Li} can be numerically evaluated for
-arbitrary real or complex arguments. @code{Li} only evaluates if for all arguments
-@tex
-$x_i$ the condition
-@end tex
-@tex
-$x_1x_2\cdots x_i < 1$ holds.
-@end tex
+Every function can be numerically evaluated for
+arbitrary real or complex arguments. The precision is arbitrary and can be set through the
+global variable @code{Digits}:
@example
> Digits=100;
git://www.ginac.de / ginac.git / blobdiff