Question commutation in quantum mechanics

In summary, it is shown that the commutators of the squared angular momentum operators, [Lx2,Ly2], [Ly2,Lz2], and [Lz2,Lx2], are not equal. This can be proved using the commutator identities, which show that each commutator can be decomposed into a sum of products of the individual angular momentum operators. However, since the operators [Lx,Ly] and [Ly,Lz] do not commute, the overall commutator does not equal the previous result.
  • #1
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Homework Statement



Show that ##[L_{x}^2,L_{y}^2]=[L_{y}^2,L_{z}^2]=[L_{z}^2,L_{x}^2]##

Homework Equations


##L^2 = L_{x}^2+L_{y}^2+L_{z}^2##
##L_x = yp_z-zp_y##
##L_y = zp_x-xp_z##
##L_z = xp_y-yp_x##
##[x_i,p_j]=iħδ_{ij}##
##[L_x,L_y]=iħL_z##
##[L_y,L_z]=iħL_x##
##[L_z,L_x]=iħL_y##
##[A,B]=AB-BA##

The Attempt at a Solution



##[L_{x}^2,L_{y}^2]= [L_{x}L_{x},L_{y}L_{y}]##
##[L_{x}^2,L_{y}^2]= L_{x}L_{x}L_{y}L_{y}-L_{y}L_{y}L_{x}L_{x}##
##[L_{x}^2,L_{y}^2]= L_{x}L_{x}L_{y}L_{y}-L_{y}L_{y}L_{x}L_{x}±L_{y}L_{x}L_{y}L_{x}##
##[L_{x}^2,L_{y}^2]= L_{x}L_{x}L_{y}L_{y}-L_{y}L_{x}L_{y}L_{x}+L_{y}L_{x}L_{y}L_{x}-L_{y}L_{y}L_{x}L_{x}##
##[L_{x}^2,L_{y}^2]= L_{x}L_{x}L_{y}L_{y}-L_{y}L_{x}L_{y}L_{x}+L_{y}(L_{x}L_{y}-L_{y}L_{x})L_{x}##
##[L_{x}^2,L_{y}^2]= L_{x}L_{x}L_{y}L_{y}-L_{y}L_{x}L_{y}L_{x}+L_{y}[L_{x},L_{y}]L_{x}##
##[L_{x}^2,L_{y}^2]= L_{x}L_{x}L_{y}L_{y}-L_{y}L_{x}L_{y}L_{x}+iħL_{y}L_{z}L_{x}##

##[L_{y}^2,L_{z}^2]= [L_{y}L_{y},L_{z}L_{z}]##
##[L_{y}^2,L_{z}^2]= L_{y}L_{y}L_{z}L_{z}-L_{z}L_{z}L_{y}L_{y}##
##[L_{y}^2,L_{z}^2]= L_{y}L_{y}L_{z}L_{z}±L_{z}L_{y}L_{z}L_{y}-L_{z}L_{z}L_{y}L_{y}##
##[L_{y}^2,L_{z}^2]= L_{y}L_{y}L_{z}L_{z}-L_{z}L_{y}L_{z}L_{y}+L_{z}L_{y}L_{z}L_{y}-L_{z}L_{z}L_{y}L_{y}##
##[L_{y}^2,L_{z}^2]= L_{y}L_{y}L_{z}L_{z}-L_{z}L_{y}L_{z}L_{y}+iħL_{z}L_{x}L_{y}##

##[L_{z}^2,L_{x}^2]= [L_{z}L_{z},L_{x}L_{x}]##
##[L_{z}^2,L_{x}^2]= L_{z}L_{z}L_{x}L_{x}-L_{x}L_{x}L_{z}L_{z}##
##[L_{z}^2,L_{x}^2]= L_{z}L_{z}L_{x}L_{x}±L_{x}L_{z}L_{x}L_{z}-L_{x}L_{x}L_{z}L_{z}##
##[L_{z}^2,L_{x}^2]= L_{z}L_{z}L_{x}L_{x}-L_{x}L_{z}L_{x}L_{z}+L_{x}L_{z}L_{x}L_{z}-L_{x}L_{x}L_{z}L_{z}##
##[L_{z}^2,L_{x}^2]= L_{z}L_{z}L_{x}L_{x}-L_{x}L_{z}L_{x}L_{z}+iħL_{x}L_{y}L_{z}##

It not equal. My answer is incorrect.
 
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  • #2
I suggest to use the commutator identities:
[AB,C] = A[B,C] + [A,C]B
[A,BC]=B[A,C] + [A,B]C
(one possible source: http://www.cchem.berkeley.edu/chem120a/extra/commutator.pdf)

Thus, [Lx2,Ly2] = [LxLx, Ly2] = Lx[Lx,Ly2]+[Lx,Ly2]Lx
Then you compute the [Lx,Ly2], which decomposes as a sum of products of Ly and [Lx,Ly].
Notice that the latter do not commute, as [Lx,Ly] ~ Lx, but the whole thing unravels.

I didn't try to go to the end with this, but I believe it should work.

Regards,
Joseph Shtok
 
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1. What is question commutation in quantum mechanics?

Question commutation in quantum mechanics refers to the concept of how the order in which questions are asked can affect the outcome of measurements in quantum systems. This is because in quantum mechanics, the act of measurement can change the state of the system being measured.

2. How does question commutation affect the measurement of quantum systems?

Question commutation can affect the measurement of quantum systems by changing the state of the system being measured. This means that the outcome of a measurement can be different depending on the order in which the questions are asked. This is a fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics and highlights the importance of carefully designing experiments and asking questions in a specific order.

3. Can question commutation be observed in real-world experiments?

Yes, question commutation has been observed in various experiments in quantum mechanics. For example, the famous double-slit experiment demonstrates how the act of measurement can change the behavior of particles, depending on the order in which the measurements are made. This phenomenon has also been observed in other experiments, such as the delayed-choice quantum eraser.

4. Why is question commutation important in quantum mechanics?

Question commutation is important in quantum mechanics because it highlights the unique properties of quantum systems, such as superposition and entanglement. These properties make quantum systems highly sensitive to the act of measurement and the order in which questions are asked. Understanding question commutation is crucial for accurately interpreting and predicting the behavior of quantum systems.

5. How does question commutation relate to the uncertainty principle?

The uncertainty principle states that certain pairs of physical properties, such as position and momentum, cannot be measured simultaneously with absolute precision. Question commutation is related to this principle because it shows that the act of measurement can affect the state of the system being measured, making it impossible to know all of its properties at the same time. This highlights the fundamental uncertainty and probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics.

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