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Angmomcommutationproof
Angmomcommutationproof
Proofs
∂ ∂
L̂y = −ih̄ z −x
∂x ∂z
∂ ∂
L̂z = −ih̄ x −y
∂y ∂x
We would like to proove the following commutation relations:
We will use the first relation for our proof; the second and third follow analo-
gously. Let’s also consider a function, f (x, y, z) that we will have the opera-
tors act upon in our discussion. The expanded version of [ L̂x , L̂y ] = i h̄ L̂z is:
[L̂x , L̂y ] = L̂x L̂y − L̂y L̂x
1
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
= y −z z −x − z −x y −z
∂z ∂y ∂x ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂z ∂y
Now let’s expand the operators (ignore the underbraces and numbers for
now):
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
L̂x L̂y = y −z z −x
∂z ∂y ∂x ∂z
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
=y z −y x −z z +z x
∂z ∂x ∂z ∂z ∂y ∂x ∂y ∂z
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
=y +z −y x −z z +z x
∂x ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂z ∂y ∂x ∂y ∂z
| {z } | {z } | {z } | {z }
1 2 3 4
Likewise for the L̂y L̂x term:
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
L̂y L̂x = z −x y −z
∂x ∂z ∂z ∂y
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
=z y −z z −x y +x z
∂x ∂z ∂x ∂y ∂z ∂z ∂z ∂y
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
=z y −z z −x y +x +z
∂x ∂z ∂x ∂y ∂z ∂z ∂y ∂z ∂y
| {z } | {z } | {z } | {z }
5 6 7 8
Combining terms and noting that [x̂, ŷ] = 0 and [p̂ x , p̂y ] = 0. We will com-
bine terms as follows: (1-8), (2-7), (3-6), and (4-5).
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
(1 − 8) = y +z −x +z
∂x ∂z ∂x ∂y ∂z ∂y
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
= y −x + yz − xz
∂x ∂y ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂y
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
= y −x + zy − zx (recall the commutation relations noted!
∂x ∂y ∂x ∂z ∂y ∂z
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
= y −x +z y −x
∂x ∂y ∂x ∂y ∂z
| {z }
9
2
∂2 ∂2
(2 − 7) = xy − yx
∂z 2 ∂z 2
∂2
= (xy − yx) 2
∂z
∂2
= [x, y] 2
∂z
∂2
= (0) 2 = 0
∂z
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
(3 − 6) = z 2 − z2
∂x ∂y ∂y ∂x
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
= z2 −
∂x ∂y ∂y ∂x
2
= z (p̂x p̂y − p̂y p̂x )
= z 2 [p̂x , p̂y ] = 0 (p̂x and p̂y commute!)
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂
(4 − 5) = zx − zy
∂y ∂z ∂x ∂z
∂ ∂ ∂
= z x −y
∂y ∂x ∂z
| {z }
10
If we add the expressions 9 and 10, inserting a factor of −ih̄ for each partial
derivative that represents a momentum operator, we obtain:
∂ ∂
[L̂x , L̂y ] = −h̄2 y −x
∂x ∂y
∂ ∂
= h̄2 x −y
∂y ∂x
But,
∂ ∂
L̂z = −ih̄ x −y
∂y ∂x
Thus,