Quantum Mechanics I

PHYS 515 Fall 2012

Problem Assignment #2
8/31/12 due 9/07/12

1. Eigenvalue problems (12 points)

(a) (Shankar 1.8.2) Consider the matrix

 
0 0 1
Ω̂ =  0 0 0 
1 0 0

i. Is it Hermitian?
ii. Find its eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
iii. Verify that Û † Ω̂Û is diagonal, Û being the matrix of eigenvectors of Ω̂.
(b) (Shankar 1.8.3) Consider the Hermitian matrix
 
2 0 0
1
Ω̂ =  0 3 −1 
2
0 −1 3

i. Show that ω1 = ω2 = 1; ω3 = 2, where the ωs are the eigenvalues of Ω̂.

ii. Show that |ω = 2i is any vector of the form
 
0
1  a 
(2a )1/2
2
−a

iii. Show that the ω = 1 eigenspace contains all vectors of the form
 
b
1  c 
(b2 + 2c2 )1/2
c

either by feeding ω = 1 into the equations or by requiring that the ω = 1 eigenspace

be orthogonal to |ω = 2i.
(c) (Shankar 1.8.5)Consider the matrix
 
cos θ sin θ
Ω̂ =
− sin θ cos θ

i. Show that it is unitary.

ii. Show that the eigenvalues are eiθ and e−iθ .
iii. Find the corresponding eigenvectors; show that they are orthogonal.
iv. Verify that Û † Ω̂Û =(diagonal matrix), where Û is the matrix of eigenvectors of Ω̂.

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2. Hermitian matrices (8 points)

(a) (Shankar 1.8.6)

i. We have seen that the determinant of a matrix is unchanged under a unitary change
of basis. Argue now that

det Ω = product of eigenvalues of Ω̂ = Πni=1 ωi

for a Hermitian or unitary Ω̂.

ii. Using the invariance fo the trace under the same transformation, show that
n
X
TrΩ̂ = ωi
i=1

(b) (Shankar 1.8.8) Consider the Hermitian matrices M 1 , M 2 , M 3 , M 4 that obey

M i M j + M j M i = 2δ ij I, i, j = 1, · · · , 4

i. Show that the eigenvalues of M i are ±1. (Hint: go to the eigenbasis of M i , and use
the equation for i = j.)
ii. By cosidering the relation

M i M j = −M j M i for i 6= j

show that the M i are traceless. [Hint: Tr(ACB) = Tr(CBA).]

iii. Show that they cannot be odd-dimensional matrices.
(c) (Shankar 1.8.10) By considering the commutator, show that the following Hermitian
matrices may be simultaneously diagonalized. Find the eigenvectors common to both
and verify that under a unitary transformation to this basis, both matrices may be
diagonalized.    
1 0 1 2 1 1
Ω̂ =  0 0 0  , Λ̂ =  1 0 −1 
1 0 1 1 −1 2
Since Ω̂ is degenerate and Λ̂ is not, you must be prudent in deciding which matrix dictates
the choice of basis.

3. Function of operators (4 points)

(a) (Shankar 1.9.1) We know that the series

∞
X
f (x) = xn
n=0

may be equated to the function f (x) = (1 − x)−1 if |x| < 1. By going to the eigenbasis,
examine when the power series
∞
X
f (Ω) = Ω̂n
n=0

of a Hermitian operator Ω̂ may be identified with (1 − Ω̂)−1 .

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 (b) (Shankar 1.9.2) If Ĥ is a Hermitian operator, show that Û = eiĤ is unitary. (Notice the
analogy with c numbers: if θ is real, u = eiθ is a number of unit modulus.)
(c) (Shankar 1.9.3) For the case above, show that detÛ = eiTrĤ .

4. Dirac delta functions (3 points)

R
(a) (Shankar 1.10.1) Show that δ(ax) = δ(x)/|a|. [Consider δ(ax)d(ax). Remember that
δ(x) = δ(−x).]
(b) (Shankar 1.10.2) Show that
X δ(xi − x)
δ(f (x)) =
|df /dxi |
i

where xi are the zeros of f (x). Hint: Where does δ(f (x)) blow up? Expand f (x) near
such points in a Taylor series, keeping the first non-zero term.
(c) (Shankar 1.10.3) Consider the theta function θ(x − x0 ) which vanishes if x − x0 is negative
and equals 1 if x − x0 is positive. Show that δ(x − x0 ) = d/dxθ(x − x0 ).