PHY-422A : Midsemester Exam Solutions

Comments: If you integrate 4(c) then you can find the asymptotic behaviour of p(m) for large m.

2019/02/18

1. Finite Verlinde : We have seen that the tensor product of two irreps is reducible
into a direct sum of other irreps with CG coefficients. Let us denote this as,
k
ρi ⊗ ρj = ⊕k Cij ρk .

Taking trace on both sides we get,

X
k
χi (c)χj (c) = Cij χk (c).
k

where, c refers to the conjugacy class containing g.

k in terms of
(a) Now use character orthogonality relations to write a formula for Cij
the characters. [3]
We can use, X
nc χ∗a (c)χb (c) = N (G)δab .
c

Multiplying by nc χ∗a (c) and summing over c we have,

X XX
nc χ∗a (c)χi (c)χj (c) = k ∗
nc Cij χa (c)χk (c)
c k c
XX
k a a
= N (G) Cij δk = N (G)Cij .
k c

Thus,
1 X
k
Cij = nc χ∗k (c)χi (c)χj (c).
N (G) c
q
(b) Define Sj (c) = χj (c) Nn(G)
c
. Write the above found formula in terms of Si , Sj and
Sk . [2]
s
X N (G)
k
Cij = Sk∗ (c)Si (c)Sj (c) .
c
nc

1
 Since, χ0 (c) = 1 (trivial irrep) we can write the above also as,

X Si (c)
k
Cij = Sk∗ (c) Sj (c).
c
S0 (c)

2. S4 :

(a) List the conjugacy classes of S4 . Hence find the number of irreps. [2]

4 = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1, 2 + 1 + 1, 2 + 2, 3 + 1, 4.

Thus there are 5 irreps.

(b) Use Young tableaux and hook’s law to determine the dimension of the irreps.
Verify that N (G) = r d2r . [5]
P

The S4 irreps can be represented as, , , , , . Drawing hooks we can

derive dimensions, 1, 3, 2, 3, 1 and 4! = 24 = 12 + 32 + 22 + 3 2 + 12 .
(c) Character Table : Fill in the missing entries below. χ1 is the trivial irrep. The
left column has the information on nc . [5]
(∗)nc χ1 χ2 χ3 χ4 χ5
(1)1 1 1 3 3 2
(12)6 1 -1 1 -1 0
(12)(34)3 1 1 -1 -1 2
(123)8 1 1 0 0 -1
(1234)6 1 -1 -1 1 0

3. SU (2) :

(a) Draw the weight diagram corresponding to the product representation j ⊗ j 0 = 52 ⊗

1
2 . Thereby, using weight diagrams, show that you get the expected decomposition.
[4]

0.2
0.1
H
-3 -2 -1 -0.1 1 2 3
-0.2

0.15 0.10
-3 -2 -1 1 2 3
H ⊕ -2 -1 1 2
H

5 1
Figure 1: The weight diagram indicates 2
⊗ 2
= 3 ⊕ 2.

2
 (b) Identify the highest weight states |3, 3i and |2, 2i in terms of the states |j =
5 0 1 0
2 , m; j = 2 , m i. [2]

5 5 1 1
|3, 3i = | , ; , i.
2 2 2 2
Let, |2, 2i = a1 | 25 , 32 ; 12 , 21 i + a2 | 25 , 52 ; 21 , − 12 i, since only these are the possible states
with J3 value 2. Now for being highest state,

J+ |2, 2i = 0.

This gives the equation:

r r
5 1
J+ |2, 2i = a1 |3, 3i + a2 |3, 3i = 0/
2 2
Thus normalizing states, we have:
r
1 5 3 1 1 5 5 5 1 1
|2, 2i = √ | , ; , i − | , ; , − i.
6 2 2 2 2 6 2 2 2 2

(c) Express |j = 2, m = 1i in terms of the states |j = 52 , m; j 0 = 12 , m0 i. [2]

Applying J− to |2, 2i we can obtain:

√ 5 3 1 1
 
1 5 1 1 1
|2, 1i = √ | , ; , i − 2| , , , − i .
3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Of course, the answers are ambiguous upto a sign (phase).

4. Hardy-Ramanujan : We had seen in PSet-02,

∞
q 1/24 X
= p(m)q m . (1)
η(τ )
m=0

Here q = e2πiτ , and p(m) gives the positive integer partitions of m. First rewrite
τ = iβ/(2π), so that q = e−β . In terms of β we thus have,
∞
e−β/24 X
Z(β) = = p(m)e−mβ . (2)
η(iβ/(2π))
m=0

Thus when β → ∞, q → 0. In this case therefore, the r.h.s of eq.(1) can be well
approximated by just the m = 0 term which is 1.

(a) Find the τ → −1/τ transformation in terms of β → β 0 (β), i.e., find the function
β 0 in terms of β. Also find the inverse, i.e., β in terms of β 0 . [1]
4π 2 4π 2
β0 = β , ∴β= β0 .

3
 √
(b) Using (a), write down Z(β) in terms of β 0 . Next using η(−1/τ ) = −iτ η(τ )
write this down in terms of Z(β 0 ). Therefore find f (β 0 ) in the relation between
Z(β) = f (β 0 )Z(β 0 ). Also find g(β) in, Z(β) = g(β)Z(β 0 ). [5]

2
−π
e−β/24 e 6β0
Z(β) = = .
η(iβ/(2π) η( 2πi
β 0 )

Next we use,
r
1 √ 2πi β0
η(− ) = −iτ η(τ ) or, η( 0 ) = η(iβ 0 /(2π)).
τ β 2π
Thus,
2
r −π
2π e 6β0
Z(β) =
β 0 η( iβ 0 )
2π
 −β 0 /24
β0
r
2π − 6β π2 e
0 + 24
= e 0 .
β0 η( iβ )
2π
β0
r
π2

2π − 6β +
= e 0 24 Z(β 0 ).
β0

β0
r
π2
2π − 6β
0 0 + 24
So, we found, f (β ) = e . Next using, β 0 = 4π 2 /β, we can write,
β0
r
2
0 β − 24
β
+π
g(β) = f (β (β)) = e 6β .
2π

(c) Arrive at the leading order approximation of Z(β) in the β → 0 limit ' g(β).
R∞
Approximate the r.h.s of eq.(2) as 0 dm p(m)e−βm . Therefore in the β → 0
limit, p(m) is the inverse Laplace transform of g(β). Write down this integral
equation. [3]
Since as β → 0, β 0 → ∞, Z(β 0 ) = ∞ −mβ 0 can be well-approximated by
P
m=0 p(m)e
m = 0 term. Thus in this limit, Z(β 0 ) ' 1, hence,

lim Z(β) = g(β).

β→0

Finally, Z ∞
dm p(m)e−mβ = g(β).
0
Therefore,
Z i∞
1
pm = dβ g(β) emβ .
2πi −i∞

4
 This integral can actually be done exactly. In the case of free bosons p(m) gives
the asymptotic growth of the density of states! The formula was first derived by
Srinivasa Ramanujan and G. H. Hardy, look it up!

5. SO(3) from SU (2)

(a) Verify that !

eiφ/2 0
u=
0 e−iφ/2
is an element of SU (2). [2]
check !
† 1 0
uu = , det u = 1.
0 1

(b) Find the rotation matrix R(φ) corresponding to u, using the relationship between
SU (2) group element and SO(3) group element. [4]
Use
1 
†

Rji = Tr σj uσi u
2
to find,
 
cos φ sin φ 0
R(φ) = − sin φ cos φ 0 .
 
0 0 1