Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1609.01198

On the nodes of wave function and the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi solution

L. A. Poveda-Cuevas, Freddy Jackson Poveda-Cuevas

Published Sep 5, 2016• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present the analytic solution for the stationary quantum HamiltonJacobi equation. Knowing the strong relation between the Riccati and quantum Hamilton-Jacobi equations, we develop a simple method to obtain the exact solution. Then, in order to prove the validity of the proposed method, we use two central potentials: the three-dimensional harmonic oscillator and Coulomb potential, both with bound-states. Finally, we compute the action-angle variables in a entirely quantum version for to achieve connect with the nodes of the wave function.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.1609.01198

Related papers

Analytical Solutions of the Quantum Hamilton-Jacobi Equation and Exact WKB-Like Representations of One-Dimensional Wave Functions

M. Fusco Girard

General analytical solutions of the Quantum Hamilton Jacobi Equation for conservative one-dimensional or reducible motion are presented and discussed. The quantum Hamilton's characteristic function and its derivative, i.e. the quantum momentum function, are obtained in general, and it is shown that any one-dimensional wave function can be exactly represented in a WKB-like form. The formalism is applied to the harmonic oscillator and to the electron's motion in the hydrogen atom, and the above mentioned functions are computed and discussed for different quantum numbers. It is analyzed how the quantum quantities investigated tend to the corresponding classical ones, in the limit $\hbar\to 0$. These results demonstrate that the Quantum Hamilton Jacobi Equation is not only completely equivalent to the Schrödinger Equation, but allows also to fully investigate the transition from quantum to classical mechanics.

arXiv:1512.01356•Dec 4, 2015•2 citations

Numerical solutions of the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi equation and WKB like representations for one dimensional wave functions

M. Fusco Girard

By means of numerical solutions of the quantum Hamilton Jacobi equation, a general WKB-like representation for one-dimensional wave functions is obtained. This representation is unique in the classically forbidden regions, while in the allowed one, each wave function corresponds to a one parameter family of solutions of the QHJE. The method has been applied to various systems, with different energies and initial conditions. In all investigated cases, the wave functions so obtained accurately reproduce the solutions of the Schrödinger equation, analytically or numerically computed by other ways. Some results for harmonic oscillator and radial Coulomb motion are presented.

arXiv:1403.0825•Mar 4, 2014•0 citations

Comment on ' Computational method for the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi equation: Bound states in one dimension' [J. Chem. Phys. 125, 174103 (2006)]

M. Fusco Girard

Some difficulties, both numerical and conceptual, of the method to compute one dimensional wave functions by numerically integrating the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi equation, presented in the paper mentioned in the title, are analyzed. The origin of these difficulties is discussed, and it is shown how they can be avoided by means of another approach, based on different solutions of the same equation. Results for the same potentials, obtained by this latter method are presented and a comparison is made.

arXiv:1404.0858•Apr 3, 2014•0 citations

“A call to action”: Schrödinger's representation of quantum mechanics via Hamilton's principle

Michele Marrocco

A few years ago, one of the former Editors of this journal launched “a call to action” (E. F. Taylor, Am. J. Phys. 71, 423–425 (2003)) for a revision of teaching methods in physics in order to emphasize the importance of the principle of least action. In response, we suggest the use of Hamilton's principle of stationary action to introduce the Schrödinger equation. When considering the geometric interpretation of the Hamilton–Jacobi theory, the real part of the action S defines the phase of the wave function exp iS/ℏ, and requiring the Hamilton–Jacobi wave function to obey wave-front propagation (i.e., Re(S) is a constant of the motion) yields the Schrödinger equation.

American Journal of Physics•Jan 23, 2023•2 citations

On the Hamilton–Jacobi method in classical and quantum nonconservative systems

A. de Souza Dutra, R. A. C. Correa, P. H. R. S. Moraes

In this work we show how to complete some Hamilton–Jacobi solutions of linear, nonconservative classical oscillatory systems which appeared in the literature, and we extend these complete solutions to the quantum mechanical case. In addition, we obtain the solution of the quantum Hamilton–Jacobi equation for an electric charge in an oscillating pulsing magnetic field. We also argue that for the case where a charged particle is under the action of an oscillating magnetic field, one can apply nuclear magnetic resonance techniques in order to find experimental results regarding this problem. We obtain all results analytically, showing that the quantum Hamilton–Jacobi formalism is a powerful tool to describe quantum mechanics.

arXiv:1510.05701•Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics•Aug 1, 2016•1 citation

Exact computation of quantum wave functions for nonlinear potentials

Winfried Loghmiller, Jean-Jacques Slotine

Recent work shows that the Schrödinger equation can be solved exactly based only on classical least action. The computation is based on first computing the multi-valued action solutions of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation, computing the classical propagated density along all stationary action multipaths, and finally constructing the exact kernel and wave function based on these classical multi-valued quantities alone. The method requires that the propagated classical square root density along each stationary action path is harmonic, as is the case for basic examples such as e.g., the double-slit, quantum tunneling, or the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen experiment. For more complex cases, residual Bohm-like quantum potentials along each stationary action path can be eliminated through a time-rescaling. This paper proposes an extended version of the above construction which avoids the need for time-rescaling even in the most general cases. This is achieved by introducing in the Hamilton-Jacobi equation a real viscosity term, which classically simply corresponds to replacing a lumped parameter model with a continuum model including a volumetric stress tensor. This keeps the earlier construction unchanged, except that the real stationary action multipaths are now real stationary viscous action multipaths defined with respect to an associated modified Lagrangian. As in the earlier version, the construction extends straightforwardly to the special and general relativistic contexts, thus describing in a common language the quantum, classical, and relativistic cases. Note that the global Bohm potential term in the lumped Hamilton-Jacobi equation associated with a Madelung transform does not have a classical equivalent, while the volumetric stress tensor term in our viscous Hamilton-Jacobi equation directly represents the real paths of a classical deformed particle field.

quant-pharXiv:2609.14480•Sep 15, 2026•0 citations
We present the analytic solution for the stationary quantum HamiltonJacobi equation. Knowing the strong relation between the Riccati and quantum Hamilton-Jacobi equations, we develop a simple method to obtain the exact solution. Then, in order to prove the validity of the proposed method, we use two central potentials: the three-dimensional harmonic oscillator and Coulomb potential, both with bound-states. Finally, we compute the action-angle variables in a entirely quantum version for to achieve connect with the nodes of the wave function.
General analytical solutions of the Quantum Hamilton Jacobi Equation for conservative one-dimensional or reducible motion are presented and discussed. The quantum Hamilton's characteristic function and its derivative, i.e. the quantum momentum function, are obtained in general, and it is shown that any one-dimensional wave function can be exactly represented in a WKB-like form. The formalism is applied to the harmonic oscillator and to the electron's motion in the hydrogen atom, and the above mentioned functions are computed and discussed for different quantum numbers. It is analyzed how the quantum quantities investigated tend to the corresponding classical ones, in the limit ℏ→0\hbar\to 0ℏ→0. These results demonstrate that the Quantum Hamilton Jacobi Equation is not only completely equivalent to the Schrödinger Equation, but allows also to fully investigate the transition from quantum to classical mechanics.
By means of numerical solutions of the quantum Hamilton Jacobi equation, a general WKB-like representation for one-dimensional wave functions is obtained. This representation is unique in the classically forbidden regions, while in the allowed one, each wave function corresponds to a one parameter family of solutions of the QHJE. The method has been applied to various systems, with different energies and initial conditions. In all investigated cases, the wave functions so obtained accurately reproduce the solutions of the Schrödinger equation, analytically or numerically computed by other ways. Some results for harmonic oscillator and radial Coulomb motion are presented.
Some difficulties, both numerical and conceptual, of the method to compute one dimensional wave functions by numerically integrating the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi equation, presented in the paper mentioned in the title, are analyzed. The origin of these difficulties is discussed, and it is shown how they can be avoided by means of another approach, based on different solutions of the same equation. Results for the same potentials, obtained by this latter method are presented and a comparison is made.
A few years ago, one of the former Editors of this journal launched “a call to action” (E. F. Taylor, Am. J. Phys. 71, 423–425 (2003)) for a revision of teaching methods in physics in order to emphasize the importance of the principle of least action. In response, we suggest the use of Hamilton's principle of stationary action to introduce the Schrödinger equation. When considering the geometric interpretation of the Hamilton–Jacobi theory, the real part of the action S defines the phase of the wave function exp iS/ℏ, and requiring the Hamilton–Jacobi wave function to obey wave-front propagation (i.e., Re(S) is a constant of the motion) yields the Schrödinger equation.
In this work we show how to complete some Hamilton–Jacobi solutions of linear, nonconservative classical oscillatory systems which appeared in the literature, and we extend these complete solutions to the quantum mechanical case. In addition, we obtain the solution of the quantum Hamilton–Jacobi equation for an electric charge in an oscillating pulsing magnetic field. We also argue that for the case where a charged particle is under the action of an oscillating magnetic field, one can apply nuclear magnetic resonance techniques in order to find experimental results regarding this problem. We obtain all results analytically, showing that the quantum Hamilton–Jacobi formalism is a powerful tool to describe quantum mechanics.
Recent work shows that the Schrödinger equation can be solved exactly based only on classical least action. The computation is based on first computing the multi-valued action solutions of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation, computing the classical propagated density along all stationary action multipaths, and finally constructing the exact kernel and wave function based on these classical multi-valued quantities alone. The method requires that the propagated classical square root density along each stationary action path is harmonic, as is the case for basic examples such as e.g., the double-slit, quantum tunneling, or the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen experiment. For more complex cases, residual Bohm-like quantum potentials along each stationary action path can be eliminated through a time-rescaling. This paper proposes an extended version of the above construction which avoids the need for time-rescaling even in the most general cases. This is achieved by introducing in the Hamilton-Jacobi equation a real viscosity term, which classically simply corresponds to replacing a lumped parameter model with a continuum model including a volumetric stress tensor. This keeps the earlier construction unchanged, except that the real stationary action multipaths are now real stationary viscous action multipaths defined with respect to an associated modified Lagrangian. As in the earlier version, the construction extends straightforwardly to the special and general relativistic contexts, thus describing in a common language the quantum, classical, and relativistic cases. Note that the global Bohm potential term in the lumped Hamilton-Jacobi equation associated with a Madelung transform does not have a classical equivalent, while the volumetric stress tensor term in our viscous Hamilton-Jacobi equation directly represents the real paths of a classical deformed particle field.