DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS

EP211 Mathematical Physics Problem Set 5 18.2.2008

Due: 25.2.2008

Hilbert spaces

Infinite dimensional linear vector spaces lead to some complications that are
not present for a finite dimensional LVS. Two examples of infinite dimensional
LVS are:
Consider the sequence |ai = (a1 , a2 , a3 , . . .). The space of such sequences
|ai with the inner product
X
ha|bi ai bi
i

forms a LVS. `2 is the LVS consisting of all vectors |ai with finite norm.
The space of square-integrable functions on the interval [a, b] is the LVS
L2 [a, b]. The inner product of two functions (x) and (x) is defined to be
Z b
h|i dx (x) (x)
a

Hilbert spaces are infinite dimensional linear vector spaces with some additional
properties. In particular, they are complete, i.e., the vectors that arise as limits of
Cauchy sequences are also elements of the LVS. This is similar to considerations
that complete the set of rational numbers to the real line. Both the examples
mentioned above are Hilbert spaces.
Let V denote a linear vector space, and let D be a subspace of V . An operator
A in V is a function which relates to each element |i D a particular element
A|i = |i V . The set consisting of elements |i , as |i runs through all
the elements of D , is called the range of the operator A . D is called the domain
of the operator A . To avoid confusion, it is helpful to use the notation DA and
A for the domain and range, respectively, of any operator A in the linear space.
If A maps each pair of different elements of DA into a pair of different elements
of A , then A has an inverse A1 which maps the elements of A into the
elements of DA . We then have A1 |i = |i iff A|i = |i . Two operators are
equal if they have the same domain, and if they have the same action on each
given vector in their common domain.
A subset U of V is a linear manifold if the following property is satisfied:
given any pair of elements |i , |i U , any arbitrary linear combination |i +
|i (where and are scalars) is also an element of U .

1
 A is a linear operator if DA is a linear manifold, and if A ( |i + |i) =
A|i + A|i .
A linear operator A is bounded if

kA k
sup < ,
|i DA kk

where |i DA . The supremum or least upper bound on the LHS in the above
is called the norm of the operator A . If a is any scalar, then the norm of the
operator a A is given by kaAk = |a| kAk .
If A and B are linear operators in V , then any linear combination C = aA+bB
(where a and b are scalars) is also a linear operator with domain DC = DA DB .
The operators AB and BA are also linear operators. If A and B are bounded
linear operators in all of V , then so are AB and BA . Further, kABk kA| kBk .

1. Which of the following infinite sequences (x1 , x2 , ) listed below belong to

`2 ?

(a) xn = (1)n (ln n)/n (b) xn = n!/(2n)! (c) xn = (2/n)n

(d) xn = (2n + 1)/(3n + 4)2 (e) xn = en /nn (f) xn = 2n/2 .

2. Let |i = (x1 , x2 , x3 , . . .) `2 . Consider operators A1 , A2 , A3 , A4 , A5

whose action on an element of the linear space is given by

A1 |i = (x2 , x3 , x4 , . . .) ,

A2 |i = (0 , x1 , x2 , x3 , . . .) ,
A3 |i = (1! x1 , 2! x2 , 3! x3 , . . .) ,
A4 |i = (x1 /1! , x2 /2! , x3 /3! , . . .) .
A5 |i = (2x1 , x2 , x3 , . . .) .
Indicate whether the operators A1 . . . , A5 (i) have inverses; and (ii) are
bounded; if so, find the value of the norm of the operator concerned.

3. Identify the functions that belong to L2 (, ) ,:

2
(a) f (x) = (x2 + 1)1/4 (b) f (x) = ex cos x (c) f (x) = e1/x

2
(d) f (x) = (sin x)/x (e) f (x) = x3 ex (f) f (x) = (tanh x)/x .

2
4. In L2 (, ) , find the adjoints of the following operators:

d d2 d
(a) x (b) + k 2 (k = real constant) (c) x
dx dx 2 dx
d2
 
d d
(d) x x (e) x2 2 (f) exp ia (a = real constant) .
dx dx dx
5. Consider the function f (x) = x in the interval
P [, ]. Obtain the Fourier
series for this function and hence show that n=0 (1)n /(2n + 1) = /4.

6. Find the Fourier transform for the function f (x) = A exp(|x|). Explicitly,
verify that Parsevals theorem holds.