1.

Evaluate the density matrix 𝜌𝑚𝑛 of an electron spin in the representation that
makes 𝜎 ̂𝑥 diagonal. Next, show that the value of〈𝜎𝑧 〉, resulting from this
representation, is precisely the same as the one obtained in Section 5.3.
Hint: The representation needed here follows from the one used in Section 5.3
by carrying out a transformation with the help of the unitary operator
̂ = ( 1⁄√2
𝑈
1⁄√2
).
−1⁄√2 1⁄√2
2. Derive the density matrix 𝜌 for (i) a free particle and (ii) a linear harmonic
oscillator in the momentum representation and study its main properties along
the lines of Section 5.3.
3. Show that the quantum-mechanical partition function of a system of N
interacting particles approaches the classical form
1
𝑄𝑁 (𝑉, 𝑇) = 3𝑁
∫ 𝑒 −𝛽𝐸(𝑞,𝑝) 𝑑 3𝑁 𝑞 𝑑 3𝑁 𝑝
𝑁! ℎ
as the mean thermal wavelength 𝜆 becomes much smaller than (i) the mean
interparticle distance (𝑉 ⁄𝑁)1⁄3 and (ii) a characteristic length r0 of the
interparticle potential.
4. Prove the following theorem due to Peierls.
̂ is the hermitian Hamiltonian operator of a given physical system and
“If 𝐻
{𝜑𝑛 } an arbitrary orthonormal set of wave functions satisfying the symmetry
requirements and the boundary conditions of the problem, then the partition
function of the system satisfies the following inequality:
𝑄(𝛽) ≥ ∑𝑛 exp{−𝛽〈𝜑𝑛 |𝐻 ̂ |𝜑𝑛 〉};
the equality holds when {𝜑𝑛 } constitute a complete orthonormal set of
eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian itself.”