CRC Press eBooks

Representation theory of quantum states

Tao Xiang

Published Mar 31, 2022• 0 citations

Abstract

A number of quantum states form an orthonormal and complete basis set if they are normalized and mutually orthogonal and any quantum state can be expressed as a linear combination. In classical mechanics, any two physical variables are commutable. However, this property is no longer valid for physical operators. Commutation of operators is an important property of quantum mechanics. Although there are many representations of wave functions and observables connected by unitary transformations, it is useful to distinguish certain classes of representations, called pictures, which differ in the way the time evolution of the system is treated. The Schrodinger picture is one in which the operators are time-independent but the wave function is time dependent. The virial theorem relates the kinetic energy to its potential in an energy eigenstate.

DOI: 10.1201/9781003174882-3

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