High School How to Apply Hermite Polynomial for Physics Problems

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SUMMARY

Hermite polynomials are essential in solving physics problems, particularly in quantum mechanics, where they represent the solutions to the one-dimensional quantum-mechanical harmonic oscillator. The definition of Hermite polynomials can vary, but physicists typically utilize a specific formulation that may initially appear non-polynomial due to its exponential components. Key resources for understanding Hermite polynomials include Arfken's mathematical methods book, Lebedev's "Special Functions and Their Applications," and standard quantum mechanics texts such as Griffiths and Shankar.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Hermite polynomials and their mathematical definitions
  • Familiarity with quantum mechanics concepts, particularly harmonic oscillators
  • Basic knowledge of mathematical methods in physics
  • Access to standard physics textbooks such as Griffiths or Shankar
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the definition and properties of Hermite polynomials in detail
  • Explore the application of Hermite polynomials in quantum mechanics
  • Read "Special Functions and Their Applications" by Lebedev for advanced insights
  • Review introductory quantum mechanics texts to understand the harmonic oscillator model
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in physics, particularly those focusing on quantum mechanics, as well as mathematicians interested in the application of special functions in physical problems.

Alaguraja
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I have doubt since a long time, that is How we apply the Hermite polynomial for a physics problem. And I don't know weather everyone known about how the analyze a physics problem and how do they apply a correct mathematical methods?
 
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This will clear your "ancient" doubt.
There are several ways that Hermite polynomials can be defined, but the one used by physicists is this: the Hermite polynomial of degree
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is defined as
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At first glance, this doesn’t look like a polynomial at all, since it contains only exponentials. But if we calculate the first few, we can see that we get a sequence of polynomials:

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Thank you Mr. John
 
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The pleasure was all mine.
 
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You can find a short discussion of Hermite polynomials in a book on mathematical methods. I have the one written by Arfken, but I'm sure others (those by Boas or Riley) will cover it, too. An in-depth treatment is in Lebedev, Special Functions and Their Applications, which also has excellent coverage of the other important functions (polynomials, Bessel functions, spherical harmonics, etc.) with many physics applications. It's a Dover book so it's inexpensive.

Finally, Hermite polynomials are famous as the solution to the one dimensional quantum-mechanical harmonic oscillator. You can find this physics application in all quantum mechanics books. For an undergrad QM text, see any of the standards like Griffith, Shankar, Liboff, or an inexpensive used copy of E. Anderson.

As to the general question of how to solve physics problems, I think you need to start with a course or a basic physics text. It is traditional to start with mechanics.
 
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Thank you Mr.Marcus
 

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