Edge-of-the-wedge theorem

In mathematics, the edge of the wedge theorem implies that holomorphic functions on two "wedges" with an "edge" in common are analytic continuations of each other provided they both give the same continuous function on the edge. It is used in quantum field theory to construct the analytic continuation of Wightman functions.

The one dimensional case

In one dimension, a simple case of the edge of the wedge theorem can be stated as follows.

• Suppose that f is a continuous (complex valued) function on the complex plane that is holomorphic on the upper half plane and on the lower half plane. Then it is holomorphic everywhere.

In this example, the two wedges are the upper half plane and the lower half plane, and their common edge is the real axis.

The general case.

A wedge is a product of a cone with some set.

Let C be an open cone in the real vector space Rⁿ, with vertex at the origin. Let E be an open subset of Rⁿ, called the edge. Write W for the wedge $E\times iC$ in the complex vector space Cⁿ, and write W' for the opposite wedge $E\times -iC$. Then the two wedges W and W' meet at the edge E, where we identify E with the product of E with the tip of the cone.

Suppose that f is a continuous function on the union $W\cup E\cup W'$ that is holomorphic on both the wedges W and W' . Then the edge of the wedge theorem says that f is also holomorphic on E (or more precisely, it can be extended to a holomorphic function on a neighborhood of E).

The conditions for the theorem to be true can be weakened. It is not necesssary to assume that f is defined on the whole of the wedges: it is enough to assume that it is defined near the edge. It is also not necessary to assume that f is defined or continuous on the edge: it is sufficient to assume that the functions defined on either of the wedges have the same distributional boundary values on the edge.

Application to quantum field theory

In quantum field theory the Wightman distributions are boundary values of Wightman functions W(z₁,...,z_n) depending on variables z_i in the complexification of Minkowski spacetime. They are defined and holomorphic in the wedge where the imaginary part of each z_i-z_i-1 lies in the open positive timelike cone. By permuting the variables we get n! different Wightman functions defined in n! different wedges. By applying the edge of the wedge theorem (with the edge given by the set of totally spacelike points) one can deduce that the Wightman functions are all analytic continuations of the same holomorphic function, defined on a connected region containing all n! wedges. (The equality of the boundary values on the edge that we need to apply the edge of the wedge theorem follows from the locality axiom of quantum field theory.)

Further reading

For the application of the edge of the wedge theorem to quantum field theory see:

Streater, R. F.; Wightman, A. S. PCT, spin and statistics, and all that. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2000. ISBN 0-691-07062-8

The connection with hyperfunctions is described in:

Hörmander, Lars The analysis of linear partial differential operators. I. Distribution theory and Fourier analysis. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2003. ISBN 3-540-00662-1