How to take a complex conjugate of a 5*5 matrices?

AI Thread Summary
To take the complex conjugate of a 5x5 matrix, each element of the matrix should be replaced with its complex conjugate without changing their positions. The expression "<psi|Sz|psi>" represents a scalar (1x1 matrix) rather than a 5x5 matrix. If referring to the matrix elements \langle\psi_{i}|\hat{S}_{z}|\psi_{j}\rangle, where i and j range from 1 to 5, it is indeed a complex matrix. Unless the states |\psi_{i}\rangle are eigenvectors of the self-adjoint operator \hat{S}_{z}, the matrix entries will generally have non-zero imaginary parts. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for correctly solving the problem.
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I'm doing a take home final and wanted reassurance that I'm doing the problem right. the question involves taking <Sz>of |psi>. I know it's
<psi|Sz|psi>. I've never done it for a spin 2 particle which is a 5*5 matrix.Do i just take the complex conjugate of the values without switching their position within the matrices.
 
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Ok, I don't really know what your notation means, but for any matrix, yeah, you just replace each element with its complex conjugate.
 
"<psi|Sz|psi>" is not a 5*5 matrix,is just a number=matrix 1*1.If you mean

\langle\psi_{i}|\hat{S}_{z}|\psi_{j}\rangle \ , \ i,j=\overline{1,5}

,then yes,it's a complex matrix;unless |\psi_{i}\rangle are eigenvectors of the selfadjoint operator \hat{S}_{z},the entries in the matrix are complex #-s with nonzero imaginary part.

Daniel.
 
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