Mathematica Asked by nanofish on January 10, 2021
The expression ClebschGordan[{2, 0}, {4, 0}, {2, 0}]
yields the correct result of Sqrt[2/7]
.
However the expression ClebschGordan[{2, 0}, {l2, 0}, {2, 0}]/. l2 -> 4
yields Indeterminate
. Indeed, ClebschGordan[{2, 0}, {l2, 0}, {2, 0}]
evaluates to an algebraic expression numerator/((-4 + l2) (2 - l2)!)
where numerator/.l2 -> 4
evaluates to Sqrt[2/7]
. This is indeed indeterminate.
Interestingly, the expression ClebschGordan[{l2, 0}, {2, 0}, {2, 0}] /. l2 -> 4
gives the correct result, and ClebschGordan[{l2, 0}, {2, 0}, {2, 0}]
leads to a different algebraic expression that has the same values for 0<=l2<4
and the correct value for l2->4
.
This would appear to be a minor bug, as it violates the simplest symmetry of the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients.
An argument could be made that the result being returned by ClebschGordan[]
is generically correct; that is, the expression that comes from the hypergeometric representation of the Clebsch-Gordan coefficient is correct except at a countable number of values.
In particular,
ClebschGordan[{2, 0}, {l2, 0}, {2, 0}] // FullSimplify
Piecewise[{{(Sqrt[5] (-1 + l2) (2 + l2) (4 + l2) Sqrt[Gamma[5 - l2]/Gamma[6 + l2]])/
((-4 + l2) Gamma[3 - l2]), l2 ∈ Integers && 0 <= l2 <= 4}}, 0]
Looking at the expression inside the conditional,
Table[(Sqrt[5] (-1 + l2) (2 + l2) (4 + l2) Sqrt[Gamma[5 - l2]/Gamma[6 + l2]])/
((-4 + l2) Gamma[3 - l2]), {l2, 0, 4}]
{1, 0, -Sqrt[2/7], 0, Indeterminate}
we do get the Indeterminate
result noted in the OP, but you should also account for the following:
Limit[(Sqrt[5] (-1 + l2) (2 + l2) (4 + l2) Sqrt[Gamma[5 - l2]/Gamma[6 + l2]])/
((-4 + l2) Gamma[3 - l2]), l2 -> 4]
Sqrt[2/7]
which is the expected answer. In short, the result is usually correct except at l2 = 4
, and in that special case, a limit must be taken.
Answered by J. M.'s ennui on January 10, 2021
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