A Method for Measuring the Witten Index Using Lattice Simulation

Abstract

We propose a method to measure the Witten index using lattice simulation. A requirement for the lattice model is that it has at least one exact supersymmetry at finite lattice spacing. We prove the validity of the method in case of the supersymmetric quantum mechanics, where the index is well known.

Comments: 23 pages, 9 figures; v2: references revised, section 2 improved and fig. 3 updated; v3: a version to appear in NPB