The Pole Term in Linear Response Theory: An Example From the Transverse Response of the Electron Gas

In linear response theory, the dielectric response at zero frequency sometimes appears to violate the f-sum rule, which has apparent implications for causality. Here, we study the origin of this apparent discrepancy, focusing on Lindhard’s formula for the transverse response of the electron gas. At non-zero frequency, first-order poles contribute to the imaginary part of the dielectric function in the usual way. At zero frequency, second-order poles contribute in a way which forces a careful consideration of the notation of summation and integration to avoid an error. A compact formula for the contribution of the second-order poles is presented. The sense in which the f-sum rule is satisfied is discussed.