Path integral approach for superintegrable potentials on spaces of nonconstant curvature: I. Darboux spaces DI and DII

In this paper, the Feynman path integral technique is applied for superintegrable potentials on two-dimensional spaces of nonconstant curvature: these spaces are Darboux spaces DI and DII. On DI, there are three, and on DII four such potentials. We are able to evaluate the path integral in most of the separating coordinate systems, leading to expressions for the Green functions, the discrete and continuous wave-functions, and the discrete energy-spectra. In some cases, however, the discrete spectrum cannot be stated explicitly, because it is either determined by a transcendental equation involving parabolic cylinder functions (Darboux space I), or by a higher order polynomial equation. The solutions on DI in particular show that superintegrable systems are not necessarily degenerate. We can also show how the limiting cases of flat space (constant curvature zero) and the two-dimensional hyperboloid (constant negative curvature) emerge.