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Dirac Notation of Quantum Mechanics

Reginald Christian S. Bernardo


July 9, 2013
The formalism that the Dirac notation offers incorporates both the differential and matrix formalism
of quantum mechanics. The state of the particle is represented by a vector called ket, say ket alpha
written | > . The thing that makes the ket significant is when it is operated on its left by a bra, say bra
beta written as < | . The product of the operation is called the scalar product of alpha and beta and
is written as < | > . This scalar product is to be interpreted as the probability amplitude that the
particle in state be found in the state represented by . The probability that the particle in state be
found in state is simply the absolute square of the corresponding probability amplitude, | < | > |2 .
Operators operate on the state ket to produce various quantities. An important class of operators
in quantum mechanics is known as Hermitian operators. These operators represent physical observables
such as momentum, position, and energy. The spectrum of these observables may be discrete, as in the
case of energy, or continuous, as in the case of position and momentum. Three special properties of the
Hermitian operator are noted: its eigenvalues are real, its eigenfunctions are orthogonal form a complete
set.

Wave function in Dirac Notation


The wave function in position is interpreted in elementary quantum mechanics as a complex quantity
that gives the probability that the particle being represented be found in a certain position, say ~r. In the
Dirac notation this follows beautifully as the probability amplitude that a particle represented by some
ket, say |, be found in the position state ket, say |~r >. We then have the following correspondence
(~r) =< ~r| > .

(1)

The wave function in momentum space also follows as the probability amplitude that a particle
represented by some ket, say | >, be found in the position state ket, say |~k >
(~k) =< ~k| > .

(2)

All the other properties known in the elementary differential equation and matrix formalism of quantum mechanics would follow as well by noting the properties of the Hermitian operators.

Overlap integral and expansion coefficients


Note that for position and momentum which have continuous spectrum the unity operator can be written
as
Z
1

=
Z

d3~r|~r >< ~r|

(3)

d3 p~|~
p >< p~|

(4)

~ and P~ , respectively.
where |~r > and |~k > are eigenstates of the position and momentum operators R
For operators exhibiting a discrete spectrum the integral is replaced by a summation. For example
consider the Hamiltonian operator. In this case the unity operator would be written as
X
1=
|Ea >< Ea |
(5)
a

where the |Ea > are eigenstates of the Hamiltonian operator. The importance of these unity operators
comes from the fact that the unity operators can be inserted anywhere in the mathematical formalism.
From the probability amplitude that a particle in state be found in some other state one could
easily arrive at the following relations using only the unity operators.
Z
< | > = < | d3~r|~r >< ~r|| >
Z
=
d3~r < |~r >< ~r| >
Z
=
d3~r (~r) (~r)
Z
= < | d3~k|~k >< ~k|| >
Z
=
d3~k < |~k >< ~k| >
Z
=
d3~r (~k) (~k)

(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)

One could also arrive at the following expansion methods of a certain ket, say | > using these unity
operators.
Z
| > =
Z
=

d3~r|~r >< ~r| >

(13)

d3~k|~k >< ~k| >

(14)

In equation 13 and 14 the expansion coefficients would be < ~r| > and < ~k| > when the basis
are the position and momentum kets, respectively. The state ket could equally be expanded in terms
of energy eigenkets, say |Ea >. In this case the expansion coefficients would be < Ea | >. The only
difference is that the summation now takes the role of the integral because the spectra of Hamiltonian is
discrete. These expansion coefficients could also be obtained by noting that the spectrum of observables
are orthogonal. But it has to be noted that this orthogonality differs for those exhibiting continuous
spectrum and discrete spectrum. For those with continuous spectra such as position and momentum the
orthogonality is expressed by the Dirac delta function of equation 15 and 16.
< r~1 |r~2 >= (3) (r~1 r~2 )
< k~1 |k~2 >= (3) (k~1 k~2 )

(15)
(16)

For the Hamiltonian operator and other operators exhibiting a discrete set of eigenvalues the orthogonality of eigenfunctions is expressed using a Kronecker delta as in equation 17.
< Ea0 |Ea00 >= a0 a00

(17)

The beauty of the Dirac notation can be seen as it now incorporates the differential equation formalism of elementary quantum theory. The beauty could even be realized further by finding that it
also incorporates the matrix formalism. A great book on the formalism of Quantum Mechanics would
be Modern Quantum Mechanics (1994) by Sakurai. The formalism presented in this book may be too
advanced for undergraduate students. But if understood well one would not be overwhelmed by the
formalism of other advanced quantum theory studies.

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