Combinatorial algebra for second-quantized Quantum Theory

We describe an algebra G of diagrams that faithfully gives a diagrammatic representation of the structures of both the Heisenberg–Weyl algebra H – the associative algebra of the creation and annihilation operators of quantum mechanics – and U(LH), the enveloping algebra of the Heisenberg Lie algebra LH. We show explicitly how G may be endowed with the structure of a Hopf algebra, which is also mirrored in the structure of U(LH). While both H and U(LH) are images of G, the algebra G has a richer structure and therefore embodies a finer combinatorial realization of the creation–annihilation system, of which it provides a concrete model. e-print archive: http://lanl.arXiv.org/abs/1001.4964 1210 P. BLASIAK ET AL.