Preliminaries: consider,

d (1.1)


You have the number operator, and the action that defines it,

; { } [unique number-combination characterizing state] ["quantum" numbers];

i
i
N a a n

= = = (1.2)

The number operator (1.2) acts on the space of all states of the form,

1 2

1 2 1 2 1 1
1 2
1
... ... 0 ... ... ;...; ... ; , [ , ];
! !... !
N
N N N N
N
a a a n n n F B
n n n

= = = ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ = . v = (1.3)

Example: specializing to bosons,

(1.4)


Example: the -label refers to the single-particle energy states.

( ) | | | |
0 0
{ } total energy number ; total energy operator ; E n n H N


c c = = = =

(1.5)