Solving problems in quantum mechanics is an essential skill and research activity for scientists, engineers and others. Nowadays, the labour of scientific computation has been greatly eased by the advent of computer algebra packages. These do not merely perform number-crunching, but enable users to manipulate algebraic expressions and equations symbolically. For example, differentiation and integration can now be carried out algebraically by the computer. This book collects standard and advanced methods in quantum mechanics and implements them using REDUCE, a popular computer algebra package. Throughout, sample programs and their output have been displayed alongside explanatory text, making the book easy to follow. Selected problems have also been implemented using two other popular packages, MATHEMATICA and MAPLE, and in the object-oriented programming language C++. Besides standard quantum mechanical techniques, modern developments in quantum theory are also covered. These include Fermi and Bose Operators, coherent states, gauge theory and quantum groups. All the special functions relevant to quantum mechanics (Hermite, Chebyshev, Legendre and more) are implemented. A careful balance is struck between practical computation and the underlying mathematical concepts, making the book well-suited for use with quantum mechanics courses.
Solving problems in quantum mechanics is an essential skill and research activity for scientists, engineers and others. Nowadays, the labour of scientific computation has been greatly eased by the advent of computer algebra packages. These do not merely perform number-crunching, but enable users to manipulate algebraic expressions and equations symbolically. For example, differentiation and integration can now be carried out algebraically by the computer. This book collects standard and advanced methods in quantum mechanics and implements them using REDUCE, a popular computer algebra package. Throughout, sample programs and their output have been displayed alongside explanatory text, making the book easy to follow. Selected problems have also been implemented using two other popular packages, MATHEMATICA and MAPLE, and in the object-oriented programming language C++. Besides standard quantum mechanical techniques, modern developments in quantum theory are also covered. These include Fermi and Bose Operators, coherent states, gauge theory and quantum groups. All the special functions relevant to quantum mechanics (Hermite, Chebyshev, Legendre and more) are implemented. A careful balance is struck between practical computation and the underlying mathematical concepts, making the book well-suited for use with quantum mechanics courses.
Solving problems in quantum mechanics is an essential skill and research activity for physicists, mathematicians, engineers and others. Nowadays, the labor of scientific computation has been greatly eased by the advent of computer algebra packages, which do not merely perform number crunching, but also enable users to manipulate algebraic expressions and equations symbolically. For example, the manipulations of noncommutative operators, differentiation and integration can now be carried out algebraically by the computer algebra package. This book collects standard and advanced methods in quantum mechanics and implements them using SymbolicC++ and Maxima, two popular computer algebra packages. Throughout, the sample programs and their outputs are accompanied with explanatory text of the underlying mathematics and physics explained in detail. Selected problems have also been implemented using two other popular packages Mathematica and Maple while some problems are implemented in C++. Modern developments in quantum theory are covered extensively, beyond the standard quantum mechanical techniques. The new research topics added to this second edition are: entanglement, teleportation, Berry phase, Morse oscillator, Magnus expansion, wavelets, Pauli and Clifford groups, coupled Bose Fermi systems, super-Lie algebras, etc.
Quantum mechanics — central not only to physics, but also to chemistry, materials science, and other fields — is notoriously abstract and difficult. This book is a concise, explanatory book that focuses on the fundamental structure, concepts, and methods of quantum mechanics, filling the gap between introductory and advanced studies, between popularizations and technical treatises. Although physical understanding is emphasized, the mathematical sophistication necessary to achieve that understanding is also developed. A modern perspective is adopted throughout, the goal being to gain entry into quantum mechanics as used by practicing scientists. This perspective includes a focus on quantum states generally, not just wavefunctions, and a strong emphasis on Dirac notation. Many standard topics are developed, such as the Schrödinger equation, quantum states, operators, and matrix mechanics. Some non-standard topics are also discussed, such as the complex nature of quantum states, and various interpretations of the uncertainty relations. Discussion of applications is limited, and focuses on elucidating the structure of quantum mechanics.
This book provides a comprehensive treatment of quantum mechanics from a mathematics perspective and is accessible to mathematicians starting with second-year graduate students. It addition to traditional topics, like classical mechanics, mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics, quantization, and the Schrodinger equation, this book gives a mathematical treatment of systems of identical particles with spin, and it introduces the reader to functional methods in quantum mechanics. This includes the Feynman path integral approach to quantum mechanics, integration in functional spaces, the relation between Feynman and Wiener integrals, Gaussian integration and regularized determinants of differential operators, fermion systems and integration over anticommuting (Grassmann) variables, supersymmetry and localization in loop spaces, and supersymmetric derivation of the Atiyah-Singer formula for the index of the Dirac operator. Prior to this book, mathematicians could find these topics only in physics textbooks and in specialized literature. This book is written in a concise style with careful attention to precise mathematics formulation of methods and results.Numerous problems, from routine to advanced, help the reader to master the subject. In addition to providing a fundamental knowledge of quantum mechanics, this book could also serve as a bridge for studying more advanced topics in quantum physics, among them quantum field theory. Prerequisites include standard first-year graduate courses covering linear and abstract algebra, topology and geometry, and real and complex analysis.
This original and innovative textbook takes the unique perspective of introducing and solving problems in quantum mechanics using linear algebra methods, to equip readers with a deeper and more practical understanding of this fundamental pillar of contemporary physics. Extensive motivation for the properties of quantum mechanics, Hilbert space, and the Schrödinger equation is provided through analysis of the derivative, while standard topics like the harmonic oscillator, rotations, and the hydrogen atom are covered from within the context of operator methods. Advanced topics forming the basis of modern physics research are also included, such as the density matrix, entropy, and measures of entanglement. Written for an undergraduate audience, this book offers a unique and mathematically self-contained treatment of this hugely important topic. Students are guided gently through the text by the author's engaging writing style, with an extensive glossary provided for reference and numerous homework problems to expand and develop key concepts. Online resources for instructors include a fully worked solutions manual and lecture slides.
This concise textbook introduces an innovative computational approach to quantum mechanics. Over the course of this engaging and informal book, students are encouraged to take an active role in learning key concepts by working through practical exercises. The book equips readers with some basic methodology and a toolbox of scientific computing methods, so they can use code to simulate and directly visualize how quantum particles behave. The important foundational elements of the wave function and the Schrödinger equation are first introduced, then the text gradually builds up to advanced topics including relativistic, open, and non-Hermitian quantum physics. This book assumes familiarity with basic mathematics and numerical methods, and can be used to support a two-semester advanced undergraduate course. Source code and solutions for every book exercise involving numerical implementation are provided in Python and MATLAB®, along with supplementary data. Additional problems are provided online for instructor use with locked solutions.
This book is a comprehensive text in the field of quantum mechanics, covering fundamental concepts including the state of a quantum mechanical system, operators, superposition principle and measurement postulate. The notion of an operator and the algebra of operators are introduced with the help of elementary concepts of mathematical analysis. Mathematical tools developed will help readers in understanding the difficulties encountered in classical physics while trying to explain the experimental results involving atomic spectra and other phenomena. The differential equations that arise while solving eigenvalue problems are solved rigorously, to make the text self-sufficient. The solutions are then physically interpreted and explained. The text offers solved examples, analogous and homework problems to help students in solving practical problems of physics requiring quantum mechanical treatment.