On the normal ordering of multi-mode boson operators

In this article combinatorial aspects of normal ordering annihilation and creation operators of a multi-mode boson system are discussed. The modes are assumed to be coupled since otherwise the problem of normal ordering is reduced to the corresponding problem of the single-mode case. To describe the normal ordering in the multi-mode case for each mode a colour is introduced and coloured contractions are considered. A depiction for coloured contractions via coloured linear representations is given. In analogy to the single-mode case associated coloured Stirling numbers are defined as coefficients appearing in the process of normal ordering powers of the number operators. Several properties of these coloured Stirling numbers are discussed.