TransWikia.com

Is there any importance to notations like $| Omega Vrangle$, $|aVrangle$?

Physics Asked on August 15, 2021

I’m not really liking this notation. Before this notation, neither of bras and kets have any preference over the other. Either of $|Vrangle$ and $langle V|$ can be understood as the adjoint of the other.

After that notation, kets have to be given a preference.

$|aVrangle$ is interpreted the obvious way as $a|Vrangle$. But, we gotta interpret $ langle aV|$ not as $alangle V|$, but as the bra equivalent of $|aVrangle$, which is $a^* langle V|$

Same goes for $|Omega Vrangle$ and $langle Omega V|$. The $Omega$ operator becomes its adjoint in the bra case.

This forces us to think of bras in terms of the corresponding ket. Bras get to live in the shadow of kets.

Then why have we kept this confusing notation? Is there any importance to this?

One Answer

It will be better if you think that $|rangle in mathcal{V}$ and $langle |in mathcal{V}^*$ where $mathcal{V}^*$ is dual space of $mathcal{V}$. Similarly any scalar $alpha in mathcal{F}$ and $alphain mathcal{F}^*$. Also Operators $Omega$ act on $|rangle in mathcal{V}$ and for all $Omega $ there exist $Omega^dagger$ that act $langle |in mathcal{V}^*$.

Now In $mathcal{V}$, $$Omega |Vrangle =|Omega Vrangle $$ $$alpha|Vrangle=|alpha Vrangle $$ and In dual, $$langle V|alpha^*=langle alpha V|$$ $$langle Omega V|=langle V|Omega^dagger$$


Further, When one writes $Omega |Vrangle$, We mean that an operator acting on the vector while when we write $|Omega Vrangle$, It's a transformed vector. It can't be said using this has many merits. But consider an example

Let's prove that the energy of the Harmonics oscillator can't be less than zero.

$$langle psi|H|psirangle =langle psi|P^2|psirangle +langle psi|X^2|psirangle =langle Ppsi|Ppsirangle +langle Xpsi|Xpsiranglegeq 0$$ Using the fact, that norm of a vector is greater or equal to zero. It was useful to write that way to see the norm of vector.

Answered by Young Kindaichi on August 15, 2021

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question

Get help from others!

© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP