(Warning: Heuristic Arguments Ahead.

)
We have to show the following to get from Eqn. 3.49 to Eqn. 3.50:
! !
√ q
1 − σ3 q
1 + σ3
p·σ = E + p3 + E − p3 (1)
2 2
! !
√ q
1 + σ3 q
1 − σ3
p · σ̄ = E+ p3 + E− p3 (2)
2 2

The RHS for both equations are positive semi-definite (i.e. the eigenvalues
are non-negative), so the square roots on the LHS are well-defined.
The easiest way to do this is to prove the square of the equation. For the
first equation, we can just show:
! !!2
q
1 − σ3 q
1 + σ3
p·σ = E + p3 + E − p3 (3)
2 2

It is easier to simplify the RHS:

! !!2
q
1 − σ3 q
1 + σ3
E+ p3 + E− p3
2 2
1 2 1
 q   
= E + p3 1 − σ 3 + E 2 − (p3 )2 1 + σ 3 1 − σ 3
4 q 4
1 2

3
  1  2
+ E 2 − (p3 ) 1 − σ 1 + σ3 + E − p3 1 + σ 3
4 4
1   2  1 q   2 
3 3 3 2
= E+p 1 − 2σ + σ + E − (p ) 1 − σ 3
2 3
4 4
1  2  1 
q    2 
2 3 3
+ 2 3
E − (p ) 1 − σ + E−p 1 + 2σ + σ 3
3
(4)
4 4

2
However, recall that σ 3 = 1, and the middle two terms will vanish. The
equation will simplify to:
! !!2
q
1 − σ3 q
1 + σ3
E+ p3 + E− p3
2 2
1   1  
= E + p3 1 − σ 3 + E − p3 1 + σ 3
2 2
1 3 3 3 3
 1 
= E + p − Eσ − p σ + E − p3 + Eσ 3 − p3 σ 3
2 2
3 3
= E−p σ
= Eσ 0 − p3 σ 3 (5)

1
However, the boost along one of the 3-directions is arbitrary: one can boost
it along any direction. To generalize it, the above expression should be p · σ.
The second equation can also be shown in a similar fashion; however, one
can see that in the general case, the second equation is just obtained by
substituting σ with σ̄.