Problem Set 7

1. Useful commutation relations. For operators A, B, C, show that

[A, B+C] = [A, B] + [A, C]

[A, BC] = [A, B]C + B[A, C]

[AB, C] = [A, C]B + A[B, C]

2. Chapter 5 slide 18 shows how to get the right form for H2 if you begin by assuming
that H0 = 1. Note that this is not the final normalized form of H2, but it’s good enough.
It’s important to understand this procedure. Proceed in the same way to obtain the right
form for H3 (normalized form not needed). You can start this process by assuming that
a1 = 1 and then proceeding from there.

3. Show by explicit evaluation that H0 and H1 are orthogonal.

4. Show for a harmonic oscillator in any of its eigenstates that

(a) <x> = 0

(b)  p x  = 0. To do this problem, use one of the relations given in McQuarrie problem
5-31.