2: Quantum Mechanical Formalism
- Page ID
- 16518
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)
- 2.1: Wave Functions
- At the heart of quantum mechanics is the wave function. Here we see how it fits into the mathematics of Hilbert space.
- 2.2: Dynamics of Quantum State Vectors
- The quantum state vector doesn't just remain static, unchanging throughout time. Here we examine how it changes, and what governs this change.
- 2.3: Operations on Wave Functions
- We introduced operators that act on Hilbert space vectors, to affect how they evolve with time. Now we look at what these operations look like in specific bases. The result is different, basis-specific, operators that act on the wave functions.
- 2.4: Stationary States
- The hamiltonian is an operator that reflects the total energy of the quantum state, and it governs the time evolution of that state. Here we look at a subset of all the quantum states that is particularly useful.
- 2.5: Observables
- We now look at the bridge between information contained in a quantum state and how that information is observed by experiment.