On P&S's QFT page 302, eq.(9.73) defined the generating functional for the Dirac field. $$Z[\bar{\eta}, \eta]=\int \mathcal{D} \bar{\psi} \mathcal{D} \psi \exp \left[i \int d^4 x[\bar{\psi}(i \not \partial-m) \psi+\bar{\eta} \psi+\bar{\psi} \eta]\right] \tag{9.73}$$ Then we need to shift $\psi$ to complete the square, here is my attempt: $$\psi^{\prime}\equiv \psi+(i\not\partial-m)^{-1}\eta \tag{A}$$ I am troubled for $\overline{\psi}$, according to (A): $$\begin{aligned} \overline{\psi}^{\prime}&=\overline{\psi}+ \eta^{\dagger}\left[(i\not\partial-m)^{-1}\right]^{\dagger}\gamma^0 \\ &=\overline{\psi}+ \overline{\eta}\gamma^0\left[(i\not\partial-m)^{-1}\right]^{\dagger}\gamma^0 \\ &=\overline{\psi}+ \overline{\eta}\gamma^0\left[(i\not\partial-m)^{\dagger}\right]^{-1}\gamma^0 \\ &=\overline{\psi}+ \overline{\eta}\left[\gamma^0(i\not\partial-m)^{\dagger}\gamma^0\right]^{-1} \\ &=\overline{\psi}+ \overline{\eta}\left[\gamma^0(-i\partial_{\mu}(\gamma^{\mu})^{\dagger}-m)\gamma^0\right]^{-1} \\ &=\overline{\psi}+ \overline{\eta}\left[(-i\partial_{\mu}\gamma^{\mu}-m)\right]^{-1} \\ &=\overline{\psi}- \overline{\eta}\left[(i\not\partial+m)\right]^{-1} \\ \end{aligned} $$ where I used $\gamma^0 (\gamma^{\mu})^{\dagger} \gamma^0=\gamma^{\mu}$. But this last look quite wrong! Since we have $(i\not\partial+m)^{-1}$. So where is my problem?
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$\begingroup$ It's correct, what were you expecting? You could have found it directly by noting: $$\overline{\gamma^\mu} = \gamma^\mu \\ \overline{A^{-1}} = \overline A^{-1}$$ $\endgroup$– LPZCommented Nov 23, 2022 at 12:34
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$\begingroup$ I don't have P&S at hand right now, but in my notes, the shifts are something like $\psi \leadsto \psi -i \int d^4y\,S_F(x-y)\eta(y)$ and $\overline{\psi} \leadsto \overline{\psi}-i\int d^4y \overline{\eta}(y)S_F(x-y)$. $\endgroup$– Jeanbaptiste RouxCommented Nov 23, 2022 at 12:39
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$\begingroup$ @lpz It seems that $(\not\partial+m)^{-1}$ cannot contract with $(\not\partial-m)$, so when I do this replacement, some terms don't canceled! $\endgroup$– DarenCommented Nov 23, 2022 at 14:18
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$\begingroup$ @JeanbaptisteRoux Thank you very much! $\endgroup$– DarenCommented Nov 23, 2022 at 14:46
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$\begingroup$ @JeanbaptisteRoux Your method really works. But I meet term with $S(x-y)(i\not\partial-m)$, would this equal to $i\delta^4 (x-y)$? Thanks! Another point is that, previously, when I do scalar and photon field shift, I directly use inverse operators, like in my this post question! So could you please comment more on why in spinor case we can directly shift with inverse operator? Thanks! $\endgroup$– DarenCommented Nov 23, 2022 at 14:50
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