PHYS 431

Problem Set I
Notes: These are some problems that you may want to solve by yourself. Some of these
problems might be solved in recitation hours.

Commutators

1. Consider the orbital angular momentum operator L⃗ = ⃗r × ⃗p of a single particle.

Compute the following commutators by using the fundamental position-momentum
commutators [xi , pj ] = ih̄δij .

(a) [Lz , Lx ]
(b) [Lz , x]
(c) [Lz , px ]
(d) [Lz , r2 ] = [Lz , x2 + y 2 + z 2 ]
(e) [Lz , p2 ] = [Lz , p2x + p2y + p2z ]

Note: The following commutator identity (the “derivative rule”) is usually useful.

[A, P Q · · · Z] = [A, P ]Q · · · Z + P [A, Q] · · · Z + · · · + P Q · · · [A, Z]

[P Q · · · Z, A] = [P, A]Q · · · Z + P [Q, A] · · · Z + · · · + P Q · · · [Z, A]

2. Let L⃗ be the total angular momentum of two particles, i.e., L⃗ =L⃗1 + L⃗ 2 = ⃗r1 × ⃗p1 +
⃗r2 × ⃗p2 . Convince yourself that L
⃗ satisfies the same commutation relations:

[Lx , Ly ] = ih̄Lz , etc.

3. Compute the following commutation relations by∑ using only the fundamental angular
momentum commutation relations [Ji , Jj ] = ih k ϵijk Jk . (Here J = J · J = Jx + Jy2 +
2 ⃗ ⃗ 2

Jz2 and J± = Jx ± iJy .)

(a) [Jz , J 2 ]
(b) [Jz , J± ]
(c) [J+ , J− ]
(d) [J+ , J 2 ]

4. An operator V ⃗ = Vx ı̂ + Vy ȷ̂ + Vz ẑ is called a “vector operator” if their commutator

with the angular momentum operators satisfy the relations
∑ ∑
[Ji , Vj ] = ih̄ ϵijk Vk , or equivalently [Vi , Jj ] = ih̄ ϵijk Vk .
k k

In other words, we have [Jx , Vy ] = ih̄Vz etc.

Use these commutation relations to solve the following problems:

1
 ⃗ is a vector operator show that
(a) If V
[Jx , V 2 ] = [Jx , Vx2 + Vy2 + Vz2 ] = 0 .
⃗ and W
(b) If V ⃗ are vector operators show that
⃗ · W]
[Jx , V ⃗ = [Jx , Vx Wx + Vy Wy + Vz Wz ] = 0 .
⃗ and W
(c) If V ⃗ are vector operators show that
⃗ × W)
[Jx , (V ⃗ × W)
⃗ y ] = ih̄(V ⃗ z.

Note: The physical meaning of these relations are as follows:

– If ⃗
⟨ V⟩ is a vector, then, when you physically rotate a system, the expectation values
V⃗ also rotate in the way you expected, i.e., as vectors. Somehow, this fact is
∑
directly related with the commutation relations [Ji , Vj ] = ih̄ k ϵijk Vk .
– If A is an operator that does not change under rotations, (in other words, ⟨A⟩
remains invariant when system is rotated), then this fact is somehow related with
the commutation relations [Ji , A] = 0.
– The exercises in this problem just demonstrate that if V ⃗ and W⃗ are vectors then
⃗ ×W
V ⃗ is also a vector and both V 2 and V⃗ ·W⃗ are rotationally invariant.

5. The following question involves manipulation of arbitrary indices in symbolic form.

You should be able to handle these kind of expressions as well.
(a) Let ϵijk be the Levi-Civita tensor. Convince yourself that the following equation
is correct. ∑
ϵijk ϵnmk = δin δjm − δim δjn .
k

(b) Use the identity above to show that

∑
Ai Bj − Aj Bi = ⃗ × B)
ϵijk (A ⃗ k .
k

(c) The
∑ components of the orbital angular momentum of a single particle are Li =
jk ϵijk xj pk . Show that

[Li , Lj ] = ih̄(xi pj − xj pi )
and then use the result in part (b) to obtain the angular momentum commutation
relations.
(d) Obtain the following relations
∑
[Li , xj ] = ih̄ ϵijk xk ,
k
∑
[Li , pj ] = ih̄ ϵijk pk .
k

By the interpretation of problem 4, these relations show that ⃗r and ⃗p are indeed
vector operators, just as we expected!
∑ ∑
(e) Show that, if [Ji , Vj ] = ih̄ k ϵijk Vk then [Ji , V 2 ] = 0. (Here, V 2 = i Vi2 .)