\magnification 1200 \centerline {{\bf On Hyperbolic Flows and the Problem of Chaos in Quantum Systems}\footnote*{Based on a Lecture at the International Workshop on "Quantum Communication and Measurement" held at Nottingham, 11-16 July, 1994}} \vskip 0.5cm \centerline {{\bf by Geoffrey L. Sewell}\footnote{**}{Partially supported by European Capital and Mobility Contract No. CHRX-Ct. 92-0007}} \vskip 0.5cm \centerline {\bf Department of Physics, Queen Mary and Westfield College} \vskip 0.3cm \centerline {\bf Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, England} \vskip 1cm \centerline {\bf Abstract} \vskip 0.3cm We briefly review the non-commutative generalisation, presented in [1], of the theory of hyperbolic dynamical systems; and then prove that hyperbolicity cannot be a paradigm for quantum chaos, except possibly in a certain asymptotic sense. \vskip 1cm \centerline {\bf 1. Introduction} \vskip 0.3cm In a recent work [1], the theory of hyperbolic, or Anosov, flows [2,3], which provides a paradigm for classical chaos, was generalised to non-commutative dynamical systems. The question naturally arises of whether such flows can prevail in the standard Von Neumann model [4] of (finite) quantum systems, and thus provide a paradigm for quantum chaos too. The object of this note is to demonstrate that they cannot do so, except possibly in an asymptotic sense, corresponding to the proximity of a classical limit. This is quite in line with results obtained on rather different bases about quantum chaos [5-7]. \vskip 0.2cm In Section 2, I shall outline the generalised theory [1] of hyperbolic flows, and in Section 3 I shall establish the above-described results concerning quantum chaos. It will be seen that the main result, i.e. Theorem 3, generalises one obtained in [1], under special conditions, for the particular case of the free dynamics of a particle on a manifold of constant negative curvature. \vskip 0.5cm \centerline {\bf 2. Hyperbolic Flows} \vskip 0.3cm\noindent {\bf 2.1. The Classical Model.} In a standard way (cf. [3]), we take our classical dynamical model, ${\Sigma}_{c},$ to be given by a triple $(X,{\phi},{\mu}),$ where $X,$ the phase space, is a compact, differentiable, Riemannian manifold, ${\lbrace}{\phi}_{t}{\vert}t{\in}{\bf Z} \ or \ {\bf R}{\rbrace}$ is a one-parameter group of diffeomorphisms of $X,$ representing the dynamics of the system, and ${\mu}$ is a smooth, ${\phi}-$invariant probability measure on $X,$ corresponding to a stationary state. We denote the tangent space at $x({\in}X)$ by $T(x)$ and, for fixed $t,$ we define ${\phi}_{t}^{\star}:=d{\phi}_{t}:T(x){\rightarrow}T({\phi}_{t}x).$ We shall employ the following definition of hyperbolic flows, which is a restricted version of that of Anosov [2,3]. \vskip 0.3cm\noindent {\bf Def. 2.1.} We term the dynamics of ${\Sigma}_{c}$ hyperbolic if there are unit vector fields $V_{1},.. \ .,V_{m};$ $V_{m+1},.. \ .,V_{n}$ over $X,$ which are linearly independent at each point of $X$ and satisfy the following conditions. \vskip 0.2cm\noindent (a) $0m.$ \vskip 0.2cm\noindent (c) The vector fields $V_{j}$ have globally integral curves, generated by the action of one-parameter groups ${\lbrace}{\theta}_{j}(s){\vert}s{\in}{\bf R}{\rbrace}$ of diffeomorphisms of $X.$ Thus, $$x_{j}(s)={\theta}_{j}(s)x\eqno(2.2)$$ is the unique global solution of the equation $$x_{j}^{\prime}(s)=V_{j}(x_{j}(s)) \ {\forall}s{\in}{\bf R}; \ x(0)=x\eqno(2.3)$$ \vskip 0.3cm\noindent {\bf Comments.} (1) It follows immediately from the condition (b) that, generically, orbits emanating from neighbouring points separate exponentially fast from one another. Hence the dynamics is extremely unstable, i.e. chaotic. \vskip 0.2cm\noindent (2) As prototype examples of hyperbolic systems, we cite (cf. [3]) \vskip 0.2cm\noindent (a) the 'Arnold Cat' model, whose dynamics corresponds to iterations of an automorphism of the two-dimensional torus; and \vskip 0.2cm\noindent (b) geodesic flow over a compact manifold of negative curvature. \vskip 0.3cm The following key lemma, concerning hyperbolic systems, will be proved in the Appendix. \vskip 0.3cm\noindent {\bf Lemma 2.2.} {\it For any hyberbolic system,} ${\Sigma}_{c},$ $${\phi}_{t}{\theta}_{j}(s){\phi}_{t}^{-1}= {\theta}_{j}(s.{\exp}({\lambda}_{j}t))\eqno(2.4)$$ \vskip 0.3cm\noindent {\bf 2.2. Algebraic Formulation of ${\Sigma}_{c}.$} As a first step towards a quantum generalisation of the above model, we reformulate it as an {\it abelian} $W^{\star}-$dynamical system $({\cal A}_{c},{\alpha}_{c},{\omega}_{c}),$ where ${\cal A}_{c},$ the algebra of observables, is $L^{\infty}(X,d{\mu}), \ {\lbrace} {\alpha}_{c}(t){\vert}t{\in}{\bf Z} \ or \ {\bf R}{\rbrace}$ is the one-parameter group of automorphisms of ${\cal A}_{c}$ induced by ${\phi},$ i.e. $$({\alpha}_{c}(t)f)(x){\equiv}f({\phi}_{t}^{-1}x)\eqno(2.5)$$ and ${\omega}_{c}$ is the normal state on ${\cal A}$ corresponding to ${\mu},$ i.e. $${\omega}_{c}(f){\equiv}{\int}fd{\mu}\eqno(2.6)$$ Further, we denote by ${\sigma}_{c,j}(s)$ the automorphism of ${\cal A}$ induced by ${\theta}_{j},$ i.e. $$({\theta}_{c,j}(s)f)(x){\equiv} f({\theta}_{j}(-s)x)\eqno(2.7)$$ It follows immediately from (2.5) and (2.7) that the hyperbolicity condition (2.4) is equivalent to $${\alpha}_{c}(t){\sigma}_{c,j}(s){\alpha}({-t})= {\sigma}_{c,j}(s.{\exp}({\lambda}_{j}t)) \eqno(2.8)$$ \vskip 0.3cm\noindent {\bf 2.3. Generalisation to Quantum Systems} [1]. Now let ${\Sigma}=({\cal A},{\alpha},{\omega})$ be an arbitrary $W^{\star}$-dynamical system, with ${\cal A}$ an algebra of observables, ${\lbrace}{\alpha}(t){\vert}t{\in}{\bf Z} \ or \ {\bf R}{\rbrace}$ a one-parameter group of automorphisms of ${\cal A},$ and ${\omega}$ a normal, ${\alpha}-$invariant state on ${\cal A}.$ Thus, ${\Sigma}$ provides a generalisation of the model ${\Sigma}_{c}$ to quantum systems. For these, ${\cal A}$ is non-abelian and conforms to the canonical commutation relations. \vskip 0.3cm\noindent {\bf Def. 2.3.} We term the system ${\Sigma}$ {\it hyperbolic} if ${\cal A}$ is equipped with weakly continuous one-parameter groups of automorphisms ${\sigma}_{1}({\bf R}),.. \ .,{\sigma}_{m}({\bf R}); \ {\sigma}_{m+1}({\bf R}),.. \ .,{\sigma}_{n}({\bf R}),$ with $0m.$ \vskip 0.3cm\noindent {\bf Comments.} (1) The present definition is less restrictive than that of [1] in that it does not require the ${\sigma}_{j}-$invariance of ${\omega}.$ \vskip 0.2cm\noindent (2) In the classical case, the derivations ${\delta}_{j}$ are those corresponding to the vector fields $V_{j}.$ \vskip 0.2cm\noindent (3) In general, by contrast with the classical case, Def. 2.3 does not provide a specification of $n$ in terms of the structure of ${\cal A}.$ We would hope that this deficiency could be remedied in the future. For present purposes, however, it suffices that $0