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American Journal of Physics

Conformal transformations and the application of complex variables in mechanics and quantum mechanics

Laurence Mittag, Michael J. Stephen

Published Mar 1, 1992• 20 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The use of complex variables and conformal mapping have long been useful tools in many branches of physics. However, these methods have not been widely applied in mechanics and elementary quantum mechanics. In this paper, it is shown that there are many useful applications of complex variables and conformal mapping in these subjects. It will be proven that central force problems in the plane have conformal duals. The inverse fifth power law force is self-dual in all dimensions. These results are extended to noncentral forces. Many of these results also apply to the quantum mechanics of a particle. For central force problems and certain noncentral force problems in the plane the Schrödinger equation preserves its form under conformal mapping and the inverse fifth power law force is again self-dual in all dimensions. The methods may also be applied in the presence of magnetic fields.

DOI
10.1119/1.16948

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The use of complex variables and conformal mapping have long been useful tools in many branches of physics. However, these methods have not been widely applied in mechanics and elementary quantum mechanics. In this paper, it is shown that there are many useful applications of complex variables and conformal mapping in these subjects. It will be proven that central force problems in the plane have conformal duals. The inverse fifth power law force is self-dual in all dimensions. These results are extended to noncentral forces. Many of these results also apply to the quantum mechanics of a particle. For central force problems and certain noncentral force problems in the plane the Schrödinger equation preserves its form under conformal mapping and the inverse fifth power law force is again self-dual in all dimensions. The methods may also be applied in the presence of magnetic fields.
Integral transformations are useful mathematical tool to work out signals and wave-packets in electronic devices. They may be used in software protocols. Necessary knowledge may come from quantum field theory, in particular from quantum chromodynamics, in which the optic theorem and the renormalization group equation can be solved by a unique contour integral written in two different "dual" ways related between themselves by a complex map in the complex plane of Mellin variable. The inverse integral transformation should be modified to be applied for these contour integral solutions. These modified inverse transformations may be used in security protocols for quantum computers. Here we do a brief review of the basic integral transforms and propose their modification for the extended domains.
In a recent paper, it has been shown the Schrödinger equation for the three-dimensional harmonic oscillator can be simplified through the use of an isometric conformal transformation. Here, it is demonstrated that the same transformation technique is also applicable to the Schrödinger equation for the hydrogen atom. This approach has two interesting features. Firstly, it eliminates potential fields from the Schrödinger equation. The Coulomb and harmonic binding terms are instead represented as imaginary parts of complex time. Secondly, the method leads to a general relationship between potential energy and ground state energy that encompasses both the hydrogen atom and the harmonic oscillator as special cases.
By properly ordering functions of noncommuting operators, a one-to-one transformation between operator functions and corresponding functions of commuting algebraic variables can be made. With this transformation, boson operator equations such as the Schrödinger equation can be converted to differential equations for the transformed functions, the resulting equations containing solely commuting variables. Once the solution to the transformed equation is obtained, the inverse transformation may be applied to yield the solution to the original operator equation. The method is extended to include angular momentum operators.
Conformal field theory is an elegant and powerful theory in the field of high energy physics and statistics. In fact, it can be said to be one of the greatest achievements in the development of this field. Presented in two dimensions, this book is designed for students who already have a basic knowledge of quantum mechanics, field theory and general relativity. The main idea used throughout the book is that conformal symmetry causes both classical and quantum integrability. Instead of concentrating on the numerous applications of the theory, the author puts forward a discussion of the general methods of conformal field theory as a physical theory. Hence the book provides in a self-contained way the necessary knowledge and "conformal" intuition which underline the various applications of conformal field theory. It is aimed to assist students and professionals in the study of the theory from its first principles and in applying the methods in their own research. The first of its kind, this book promises to give a detailed and comprehensive insight into the workings of conformal field theory
The Schrodinger equation for stationary states in a central potential is studied in an arbitrary number of spatial dimensions, say q. After transformation into an equivalent equation, where the coefficient of the first derivative vanishes, it is shown that in such equation the coefficient of the second inverse power of r is an even function of a parameter, say lambda, depending on a linear combination of q and of the angular momentum quantum number, say l. Thus, the case of complex values of lambda, which is useful in scattering theory, involves, in general, both a complex value of the parameter originally viewed as the spatial dimension and complex values of the angular momentum quantum number. The paper ends with a proof of the Levinson theorem in an arbitrary number of spatial dimensions, when the potential includes a non-local term which might be useful to understand the interaction between two nucleons.