Quantum Mechanics, Advanced Course (FMFN01/FYSN17) Autumn 2013

Stephanie Reimann, Lney Halla Kristinsdttir

Exercises Week 1
Exercise 1.1 (Functions and operators) Consider the subspace that is spanned
by
n (x) = cn einx , 0 < x < 2, n = 0, 1, 2
(a) Determine cn so that this set of functions is normalized.
(b) Show by explicit computation that these functions are orthogonal.
(c) Set up the matrices for the operators x and px . Is this subspace invariant

with respect to any of these operators?

Exercise 1.2 (Commutator relations)

(a) Prove the commutator relation: [A, B C] = [A, B]C + B[A, C].
2
2
(b) Calculate the commutator: [x , x ].
p
(c) Let f (x) be a dierentiable function. Compute [x , f (x)].
p

Exercise 1.3 (Common eigenstates) Two operators have the same eigenstates.
The set of eigenstates is complete in the Hilbert space (i.e., every state can be
written as a linear combination of the eigenstates). Prove that the operators
commute.

Exercise 1.4 (Eigenstates in matrix representation) In a three dimensional

subspace two operators are represented by the matrices:

b
0
0
a 0
0
0
ib
B = 0
A = 0 a 0 ,
0 ib 0
0 0 a
where a and b are real numbers.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Show that A and B are Hermitian.

Calculate the eigenvalues of A and B.
Show that [A, B] = 0.
Determine a basis of common eigenfunctions.

Exercise 1.5 (Measurement)

Let |1 and |2 be two orthogonal normalized states of a physical system, that is
1 |2 = 0
1 |1 = 2 |2 = 1

and let A be an observable of the system. Consider a nondegenerate eigenvalue

of A denoted by n to which the normalized state |n corresponds. We dene

P1 (n ) = | n |1 |2
P2 (n ) = | n |2 |2
(a) What is the interpretation of P1 (n ) and P2 (n )?
(b) A given particle is in the state 3|1 4i|2 . What is the probability of
getting n when A is measured?

Quantum Mechanics, Advanced Course (FMFN01/FYSN17) Autumn 2013

Stephanie Reimann, Lney Halla Kristinsdttir

Exercise 1.6 (Adjoint operators and bras) Let | be the corresponding bra

of the ket | . We designate by | the result of the action of the operator A

on | , so

| = A| .
Let | be the bra corresponding to | . Prove that

| = |A .

(Note: In Sakurais book the property |A | = |A|

is used to prove that |A = |. This

| = |A|

might make you feel like you are going in circles. But at least the property |A
= | (my guess is that |A = | can also be proved

can be proved independently of |A

independently). However, to do that youll need to know a lot of algebra. Since we are physicists,
we think: Good, the mathematicians have proved this property, and whatever way it is proved, I
can use it yay!. Bottomline: You can rest assured, youre not going in circles, the mathematicians

have taken care of it...)

Exercise 1.7 (Properties of the adjoint operator)

perties of the adjoint of an operator:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

( A ) = A ;

(A) = A , where is a complex number;

(A + B) = A + B ;
B) = B A .

(A

Derive the following por-

Exercise 1.8 (Operator properties) Consider a Hermitian operator A that

has the property that A3 = 1 (the identity operator, 1| = | for all states

| ). Show that A = 1.

Exercise 1.9 (Closure relation)

(a) Prove that if an orthonormal discrete set of kets {|ui : i = 1, 2, . . .}
constitutes a basis, then it follows that the basis {|ui } fullls the closure
relation
|ui ui | = 1 .
i

(b) Show that if the closure relation is valid for an orthonormal continuous
set {|w : ], +[ },
|w w | d = 1
then this set constitutes a basis.

Quantum Mechanics, Advanced Course (FMFN01/FYSN17) Autumn 2013

Stephanie Reimann, Lney Halla Kristinsdttir

Hints Week 1
1.1: (c) The matrix element with label mn of the matrix representing x is

calculated by m ||n .
x

A supspace U is invariant with respect to an operator A if applying A to any

element in U returns an element that is also in U . Note that since the n span
the subspace, one only needs to check if applying the operators on these returns
a linear combination of the n s.
1.2: (c) Apply [, f (x)] on the arbitrary well-behaved test function g(x). Alp
ternatively, nd [, xn ] and expand f (x) in Taylor series.
p
1.3: What does is mean for a state | that the eigenstates are complete in the

Hilbert space? What happens when A and B are applied to their eigenstates?
B| = B A| for any state | .

Use these to show that A

1.4: Make sure you remember how to multiply matrices and to nd their
eigenvalues and eigenvectors youre going to need those in the course.
1.5: (b) Dont forget to normalize the state!
1.6: Two bras | and | are the equal if and only if their action on an
arbitrary ket | is the same. In formulas,

| = |

| = |

for any

1.7: If for any two states | and | we have |A1 | = |A2 | , then A1 =
2 . (If this sounds like magic, think it this way: Just like two matrices are the
A

same if all their correponding matrix elements are equal, two operators A1 and
2 are the same if their corresponding matrix elements in a basis {|ui }i of the
A

state space are equal. That is, if for every i, j we have ui |A1 |uj = ui |A2 |uj ,

then A1 = A2 . Since all states can be written in terms of the basis states, we
can rephrase this as the initial statement.)

1.8: What are the eigenvalues of A? Use that to show that A| = | for any
state | .

Answers Week 1

1
i 2 i

i ,
1.1: (a) cn = 1 . (c) X = i
2
1
i i

2
w.r.t px , but not w.r.t. x.

1.2: (b) [2 , x2 ] = 2
p

1.4: (b) a and b.

(d) [ 1 0 0 ]T ,

1.5: (b)

1
25 [9P1 (n )

4i xp.

0
P = 0
0

0
0

0
0 . Invariant
2

(c) [, f (x)] = i f (x).

p
1
[0
2

1 i ]T ,

1
[0
2

1 i ]T .

+ 16P2 (n ) + 2 Re(12i n |1 n |2 )]
3