Assigned problems for Lecture-6.

Commutation relations between operators

1.
Let A,B, and C be operators. prove the following two relations about commutators
I : [AB,C] = A[B,C] + [A,C]B
I I : [A,BC] = [A,B]C + B[A,C]
Proof of I :
[AB,C] ABC-CAB

(Now adding ACB-ACB which is zero "the smart thing to do" )

= A B C - C A B+ A C B -ACB
= ABC- ACB + A C B - C A B
= A[B,C] + [A,C]B QED
Proff of II
[A,BC] = ABC-BCA (Now adding BAC
-BAC which is zero "the smart thing to do"
= A B C -B C A + B A C
-BAC
= ABC - B A C + B A C - B C A
= [A,B]C + B[A,C] QED

2.
Evaluate th folloing commutators, using [ x , p x ] = ih
(a) : [x , p x 2 ] , ( b ) [:x 2 , p x ] , (c) : [H, p x ], (d) : [H, x ]
is given by
where the Hamiltonian H
2
2
= -h d + V (x)
H
2m dx 2

Answers
(a) [x , p x 2 ]

(making use of II in problem 1 with A=x ; B = C = p x ]

[x , p x 2 ] = [x , p x ]p x + p x [x , p x ] = 2ihp x

(b) : [x 2 , p x ] (Making use of I in problem 1 with A = B = x and C = p x we have

[x 2 , p x ] = x [x , p x ] + [x , p x ]x
[x 2 , p x ] = 2ihx

, p ]
(c) : [H
x
2
= p x + V(x)
We have H
2m

p 2
p 2
[H , p x ] = [ x + V(x), p x ] = [ x , p x ] +[V(x), p x ]
2m
2m
We have that an operator commutes with itself, thus
p 2
1
1
1
[ x , p x ] =
p x [p x , p x ]+
[p x2 , p x ] =
[ p , p ]p = 0
2m
2m
2m
2m x x x
[V (x), p x ] = [V(x),
[H , p x ] =

h d
h
d dV (x)
d
h dV(x)
] = [V (x)

V(x) ] =
i dx
i
dx
dx
dx
i dx

h dV(x)
i dx

(d) :
2
= p x + V(x)
We have H
2m
2
p x
p 2x

[H, x] = [ (
+ V(x)), x] = [
, x ] + V
[ (x), x ]
2m
2m

We have
p 2
1 2
1
[ x , x ] =
[ p x , x ] = [x , p 2x ] = 2ihp x (from (a) of problem 2)
2m
2m
2m
[V (x), x ] = 0
[H, x ] = 2ihp x

(Both V(x) and x are multiplicative operators)

3.
Working in three dimensions, where the operators acts on functions of x,y, and z,
find the following commotators:
x] = [( xp y p ) , (yp zp )]
[x , y ], [ p x, p y ], [ y , p y ] , z[ , p z] , x[ , p y ] and [L z, L
y
x
z
y
We have
[x , y ] = 0 (x and y multiplicative operators)
[p x , p y ] = 0 (works on different variables )
[y , p y ] = [x , p x ] = ih (x can not be unique)
[z, p z] = [x , p x ] = ih
[L z , L x ] = [( xp y yp x ) , (yp z zp y )]
= [ xp y , yp z ] [ xp y , zp y ] [y p x .yp z ] + [ yp x .z p y ]
= xp z[p y , y] p 2y [x, z ] y 2 [p x , p z ] + p x z[ p x , p y ]
= xp z (ih) p 2y o y 2 o + p xz (ih)
= ih( xp z p x z ) = ihL y
Thus
, L ] = hiL
[L
z x
y
We shall make use of this result later in connection with the discussion of angular
momenta.
x , L y and L y are the operators for the three components of
Thus : L
r
r
r
r
the angular momentum L = L xex + L y ey + L y ez
TZ