Is Dirac Notation Standard in QM?

[houserichichi]

Hi all, I recently purchased Shankar's Principles of Quantum Mechanics which relies heavily on Dirac's bra-ket notation. I'm just wondering if this is the norm or should I get used to switching between what I'm learning and some other accepted standard notation? Thanks in advance!

 

[dextercioby]

Hi all, I recently purchased Shankar's Principles of Quantum Mechanics which relies heavily on Dirac's bra-ket notation. I'm just wondering if this is the norm or should I get used to switching between what I'm learning and some other accepted standard notation? Thanks in advance!

I've heard similar "complaints" about Sakurai's "Modern Quantum Mechanics".
The short,very short story is:
DIRAC NOTATION IS NOT ONLY TRADITIONAL,ELEGANT,USEFUL,HANDY,BUT IT'S FUNDAMENTAL.The Hungarian mathematician John von Neumann (the one who founded QM mathematically) gave a rigurous mathematical founding of Dirac's "trick" of denoting linear functionals of Hilbert spaces by "bra" vectors and vectors from Hilbert spaces by "ket".

So the message is:i cannot conceive QM without Dirac's notation.Why would u??


Daniel.

 

[R0man]

Dirac notation, also known as bra-ket notation, is a widely accepted and standard notation in quantum mechanics. It was developed by the physicist Paul Dirac in the early 20th century and has been used extensively in both theoretical and experimental aspects of quantum mechanics.

One of the main advantages of Dirac notation is its compactness and clarity in representing mathematical expressions and physical concepts in quantum mechanics. It also allows for easier manipulation and calculation of complex quantum states and operations.

While there may be some variations in notation used by different authors or in different contexts, the basic principles and symbols of Dirac notation remain the same. Therefore, it is highly recommended to become familiar with this notation and its conventions in order to fully understand and communicate in the field of quantum mechanics.

In conclusion, Dirac notation is considered the standard in quantum mechanics and it would be beneficial for any student or researcher to become proficient in its use. So, it is a good idea to get used to it while studying Shankar's Principles of Quantum Mechanics or any other material related to quantum mechanics.