Properties of Wave Functions and their Derivatives

[Kyle.Nemeth]

Homework Statement

I am unsure if the first statement below is true.

Homework Equations

\frac{\partial \psi^*}{\partial x} \frac{\partial^2 \psi}{\partial x^2}=\frac{\partial^2 \psi}{\partial x^2}\frac{\partial \psi^*}{\partial x} Assuming this was true, I showed that \int \frac{\partial \psi^*}{\partial x} \frac{\partial^2 \psi}{\partial x^2}dx=\int \frac{\partial \psi}{\partial x} \frac{\partial^2 \psi^*}{\partial x^2}dx

The Attempt at a Solution

I am unsure whether it is true due to the fact that \psi and \psi^* may be complex.

 

[IanBerkman]

The first statement is true. Is your question not
$$\frac{\partial\psi^*}{\partial x}\frac{\partial^2\psi}{\partial x^2} = \frac{\partial\psi}{\partial x}\frac{\partial^2\psi^*}{\partial x^2}?$$

 

[Kyle.Nemeth]

That might be my question (although I didn't realize it). Here is what I did,

\int \psi^* \frac{\partial^3 \psi}{\partial x^3}dx=-\int \frac{\partial^2 \psi}{\partial x^2} \frac{\partial \psi^*}{\partial x}dx I used the product rule for the integrand on the left hand side of the equation to show this statement. From here (using the assumption I originally asked about in the OP), I claimed that -\int \frac{\partial^2 \psi}{\partial x^2} \frac{\partial \psi^*}{\partial x}dx=-\int \frac{\partial \psi^*}{\partial x} \frac{\partial^2 \psi}{\partial x^2}dx From here, I used integration by parts by letting u=\frac{\partial \psi^*}{\partial x} and dv=\frac{\partial^2 \psi}{\partial x^2}dx to arrive at the second statement I made in the OP (In the relevant equations section).

 

[IanBerkman]

You could also perform this step immediately by $$
\int \frac{\partial}{\partial x}(\frac{\partial \psi}{\partial x}\frac{\partial \psi^*}{\partial x})dx= \int \frac{\partial^2 \psi}{\partial x^2}\frac{\partial \psi^*}{\partial x}dx+\int \frac{\partial \psi}{\partial x}\frac{\partial^2 \psi^*}{\partial x^2}dx$$
Because the L.H.S. is equal to zero at the infinities, we obtain $$
\int \frac{\partial^2 \psi}{\partial x^2}\frac{\partial \psi^*}{\partial x}dx=-\int \frac{\partial \psi}{\partial x}\frac{\partial^2 \psi^*}{\partial x^2}dx$$

 

[Kyle.Nemeth]

I apologize for not replying to this post. Thanks IanBerkman, you've been very helpful.