What Is the Significance of 'n' in the Solutions of the Quantum SHO?

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SUMMARY

The significance of 'n' in the solutions of the Quantum Simple Harmonic Oscillator (SHO) is directly related to the degree of the polynomial and the energy levels of the system. The even solutions are expressed as h^+(y) = ∑_{s=0}^{∞} a_s y^{2s}, with coefficients defined by the recursion a_{s+1} = a_s (4s + 1 - ε) / (2(s + 1)(2s + 1)). The solutions are square integrable if a_n = 0, indicating that the polynomial is finite. The parameter 'n' corresponds to the energy level, where ε = (4n + 1) when a_n = 0.

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ehrenfest
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The even solutions of an SHO are:

h^+(y) = \sum_{s = 0}^{\infty}a_s y^{2s}

where a is given by the recursion

a_{s+1} = a_s \left( \frac{4s + 1 - \epsilon}{2(s+1)(2s+1)} \right)

The solutions are square integrable iff

a_n = 0 so that the polynomial is finite.

What I do not understand is why my book (Robinett) says

h_0(y) = 1 and not 0 when a_0 = 0 for n = 0?
 
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Who's "n" and what does it have to do with what you wrote ?
 
dextercioby said:
Who's "n" and what does it have to do with what you wrote ?

So, there should be one solution for every n because

a_n = 0 --> epsilon = (4n +1).

So, I guess n is the degree (maybe +/- 1 of the polynomial). It is also the energy level.
 

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