# Quantum equation symbols

1. Dec 31, 2008

### electrogluon

I have a good understanding of general quantum physics but not so much of an understanding of the mathmatics around equations,
such as the equations on wikipeadia under the quantum physics page to understand any of the equations you much first know what the symbols in the equation means
can anyone suggest a website that may have some form of index for these symbols on

2. Dec 31, 2008

### malawi_glenn

There is no 100% standard notation.

Can you tell us exactly which wiki page you are wondering about? Almost all wiki pages have explanations of formulas.

And who can you understand quantum physics with no mathametics? :P

3. Dec 31, 2008

### electrogluon

for example i would like to understand the working of the Dirac notation
but there other pages which don,t have any explanation to the the symbols used
such as quantum field theory page

thankyou for helping

4. Dec 31, 2008

### malawi_glenn

But everything is introduced in that wiki-article, there is nothing more to add. It is just what you would find in an ordinary QM textbook such as Sakurai.

There are not so many equations in the QFT page, just some fields etc.

5. Dec 31, 2008

### tiny-tim

Welcome to PF!

Hi electrogluon! Welcome to PF!

Type out the symbols you don't understand, and then we can help!

6. Dec 31, 2008

### ice109

??? how does that even make sense ???

7. Dec 31, 2008

### electrogluon

$$\sum$$ "sum"

$$\phi$$ "phi"

$$\prod$$ "prod"

these are the main symbols i don,t understand but also i don,t understand what the doots mean inbetween symbols like in this equation

8. Dec 31, 2008

### tiny-tim

ok … ∑ means the sum of the thing after the ∑, over all possible values of the variable (in your example. over all values of p in the set SN)

that big π is the same, except it means the product, not the sum (so n! = bigπ(i) over i ≤ n)

φ is just the usual syymbol for a wave-function … it's an unknown, like "x" … you could use any symbol, but it's easier to read if everybody uses the same one

and the dots mean φ1, φ2, φ3, and so on until you get to φN )

Anything else?

9. Dec 31, 2008

### electrogluon

thankyou for explaining it you've helped alot with my research