Solution to Question 4.

The average energy of a n-state system is given by:

n
X
jεe−jβε
j=0
< ε >=
Z

where
n
X
Z= e−jβε
j=0

−1 ∂Z
The average energy can be rewritten as < ε >= Z ∂β . Proof

 
n n
∂Z ∂ X −jβε  X
= e = −jεe−jβε
∂β ∂β j=0 j=0

and so
n
−1 ∂Z −1 X
= n × −jεe−jβε =< ε >
Z ∂β X
e−jβε j=0
j=0

The partition function Z can be rewritten as a geometric series:

n
X 1 − e−(j+1)εβ
Z= e−jεβ =
j=0
1 − e−εβ

Therefore,

1
 1 ∂Z
<ε> = −
Z ∂β
1 − e−(j+1)εβ
 
1 ∂
= −
Z ∂β 1 − e−εβ
1 (j + 1)εe−(j+1)εβ (1 − eεβ ) − εe−εβ (1 − e−(j+1)εβ )
= −
Z (1 − e−εβ )2
−εβ −εβ
1−e εe h
−jεβ −(j+1)εβ
i
= − (j + 1)e − je − 1
1 − e−(j+1)εβ (1 − e−εβ )2
εe−εβ h
−jεβ −(j+1)εβ
i
= 1 − (j + 1)e + je
(1 − e−(j+1)εβ )(1 − e−εβ )

Therefore, for n-state system, the average energy is given by

εe−εβ h
−jεβ −(j+1)εβ
i
< ε >= 1 − (j + 1)e + je
(1 − e−(j+1)εβ )(1 − e−εβ )

For harmonic oscillator with n → ∞, the average energy becomes:

εe−εβ
< ε >= [1 − 0 + 0]
(1 − 0)(1 − e−εβ )

Therefore,
ε
< ε >=
eεβ −1