- #1
jshrager
Gold Member
- 24
- 1
Can someone explain to me the mathematical intuition that motivates the embedding of quantum operators between the conjugate wave function and the (non-conjugated) wave function? That is, we write: [itex]\Psi[/itex][itex]^{*}[/itex][itex]\hat{H}[/itex][itex]\Psi[/itex], that is: [itex]\Psi[/itex][itex]^{*}[/itex]([itex]\hat{H}[/itex][itex]\Psi[/itex]), so that [itex]\hat{H}[/itex] operates on [itex]\Psi[/itex] (not [itex]\Psi[/itex][itex]^{*}[/itex]) and THEN this result is multiplied by [itex]\Psi[/itex][itex]^{*}[/itex]. Okay, fine, but WHY? What is the mathematical intuition behind this way of formulating quantum observables? What intuitively does it do to multiply the conjugate of [itex]\Psi[/itex] (i.e., [itex]\Psi[/itex][itex]^{*}[/itex]) by a modified (i.e., operated-upon) [itex]\Psi[/itex]?