QM Slides Eng 03

Mathematical Foundations
of Quantum Mechanics
04. Quantization
Tim Shilkin
Saarland University, Spring 2023
www.pdmi.ras.ru/∼shilkin
web-site containing some materials for our course

1. Correspondence principle
and quantization rules
1. Bohr's correspondence principle
Axiom 4. Non-relativistic theory of interaction of a quantum particle

with a classical eld must contain a small parameter
~ (which is related
to the size of the support of the wave function ψ ∈ L2 (R3 , C) in the
case of coordinate respesentation), and when ~ → +0 all relations
for the dynamical characteristics of a quantum particle (coordinates,
momentum, energy, angular momentum), when interpreted correctly,
should transform into the relations of classical mechanics for the
same characteristics of a classical particle.
Axiom 0 probabilistic nature of experiment results

Axiom 1 states
Axiom 2 observables
Axiom 3 probability measure on the spectrum
2. Equations of motion of a classical particle in a potential eld
In classical mechanics the motion of a particle in a force eld with

potential v : R3 → R is dened by Newton's second law:
d2 x
m 2 (t) = −∇U (x(t)),
dt
where U is the potential energy of a particle in a eld with potential v .
For a detrministic description of the dynamics we x the initial data:
dx
x(0) = x0, m (0) = p0
dt
The set of parameters (x0, p0) is the 6-dimensional Euclidean space
R3 × R3
called phase space of a classical particle.
3. Observables in classical mechanics
The motion of a classical particle determines its dynamic characteristics

(coordinate, momentum, energy, angular momentum) in the unique
way. Thus, in classical mechanics the dynamic characteristics of a
particle (i.e. classical observables ) are functions f : R3 × R3 → R of
the coordinate and momentum:
• f (x, p) = x coordinate
• f (x, p) = p momentum
|p|2
• f (x, p) = 2m kinetic energy
• f (x, p) = U (x) potential energy
|p|2
• f (x, p) = 2m + U (x) total energy
• f (x, p) = (x − x∗) × p angular momentum with respect to x∗
Def. Observables for a classical particle are smooth functions on

the phase space. (Compare: observables for a quantum particle
are self-adjoint linear operators on the state space).
4. Hamiltonian of a classical particle
Def. The observable

|p|2
H : R3 × R3 → R, H(x, p) := + U (x),
2m
corresponding to the total energy of a classical particle is called the
Hamiltonian of a classical particle.
5. Equations of motion in Hamilton form
| p| 2
Theorem. Assume H(x, p) = 2m + U (x) is the Hamiltonian of a
classical particle. Then

dx
(t) = ∇pH(x(t), p(t))


Newton's

dt

⇐⇒
second law  dp


 (t) = −∇xH(x(t), p(t))
dt
6. How do the physical characteristics of a particle evolve in time
in classical mechanics?
Theorem. Let F (t) be the values of some physical characteristic of a

classical particle, i.e. F (t) = f (x(t), p(t)), where f : R3 × R3 → R is
a classical observable. Then
d
f (x(t), p(t)) = {H, f }
dt x=x(t),p=p(t)
where we have denoted by {H, f } the expression
{H, f } := ∇pH · ∇xf − ∇xH · ∇pf
Proof. d f (x(t), p(t)) = ∇ f · ẋ +∇ H · ṗ

dt x |{z} p |{z}
∇p H −∇x H
7. Classical Poisson bracket
Def. Classic Poisson bracket is the map
{·, ·} : C ∞(R3 × R3) × C ∞(R3 × R3) → C ∞(R3 × R3),

{f, g} := ∇pf · ∇xg − ∇xf · ∇pg
8. Properties of the classical Poisson bracket
Theorem. Let {·, ·} be the classical Poisson bracket on C ∞(R3 × R3).

Then for any f , g , h ∈ C ∞(R3 × R3) and any λ ∈ R
• {f, g} = −{g, f } (skew-symmetry)

• {f + g, h} = {f, h} + {g, h} (additivity)
• {λf, g} = λ{f, g} (homogeneity)
• {f, {g, h}} + {g, {h, f }} + {h, {f, g}} = 0 (Jacobi identity)
9. Properties of the commutator
Theorem. The commutator [A, B] of linear operators in a Hilbert

space H has the following properties:
• [A, B] = −[B, A] (skew-symmetry)

• [A + B, C] = [A, C] + [B, C] (additivity)
• [λA, B] = λ[A, B] (homogeneity)
• [A, [B, C]] + [B, [C, A]] + [C, [A, B]] = 0 (Jacobi identity)
10. Dirac's canonical quantization
Def. Dirac's canonical quantization is a map
πh : C ∞(R3 × R3) → { A : D(A) ⊂ H → H, A = A∗ }

algebra of classical observables into a set of self-adjoint linear operators
on a Hilbert space such that
• πh(f + g) = πh(f ) + πh(g)

• πh(λf ) = λπh(f ), ∀ λ∈R
• πh(0) = O, πh(1) = I
• πh({f, g}) = ~i [πh(f ), πh(g)] Bohr's correspondence principle
Axiom 5. Quantum observables are obtained from the corres-

ponding classical observables by applying to the latter the quan-
tization operator πh.
11. Diculties related to the denition of the quantization
The product of self-adjoint operators is not necessarily a self-adjoint

operator.
So, the Dirac canonical quantization should be supplemented with a

rule according to which the product of two classical observables f and
g is associated with a self-adjoint operator.
For example, the product of functions f g is assigned Jordan product

of operators, i.e. instead of matching
fg 7→ πh(f )πh(g) non self-adjoint
we use the matching
1 (formally)

fg 7→ πh(f )πh(g) + πh(g)πh(f )
2 self-adjoint
However, such matching is convenient only in the case of bounded
operators. For unbounded operators this denition is formal, since
unbounded operators must be carefully dealt with domains of the
product and sum of operators.
Therefore, in order to get a working quantum theory, it is necessary
to drop the requirement that the quantization πh is an isomorphism of
algebras of classical and quantum observables. Instead, we require that
the mapping f 7→ πh(f ) becomes an isomorphism of the corresponding
algebras only in the limit as h → 0.
12. General denition of quantization
Def. A quantization of a classical system is an invertible map
πh : C ∞(R3 × R3) → { A : D(A) ⊂ H → H, A∗ = A }

of the algebra of classical observables into a set of self-adjoint linear
operators on a Hilbert space such that

−1
1) lim 1 π πh(f )πh(g) + πh(g)πh(f ) = f g
h→0 2 h

2) lim πh−1 ~i [πh(f ), πh(g)] = {f, g} Bohr's correspondence principle
h→0
2. Ñommutation relations
of quantum mechanics
1. Commutation relations of classical mechanics
Theorem. Classical observables of coordinates Xj ∈ C ∞(R3; R3) and

momentums Pj ∈ C ∞(R3; R3)
X1(x, p) = x1, X2(x, p) = x2, X3(x, p) = x3,

P1(x, p) = p1, P2(x, p) = p2, P3(x, p) = p3,
satisfy the commutation relations
{Xk , Xj } = 0, {Pk , Pj } = 0, {Xk , Pj } = −δkj , k, j = 1, 2, 3
Proof: {f, g} := ∇pf · ∇xg − ∇xf · ∇pg

       
0 0 1 1
{X1, P1} =  0  ·  0  −  0  ·  0  = −1
       
0 0 0 0
2. Commutation relations of quantum mechanics
Theorem. Observables of coordinates Qj : H → H and momenta

Pj : H → H in quantum mechanics, obtained from the corresponding
classical observables by the canonical quantization, must satisfy the
commutation relations
[Qk , Qj ] = 0, [Pk , Pj ] = 0, [Qk , Pj ] = i~δkj I, k, j = 1, 2, 3 (∗)
Def. Operator relations (∗) are called the canonical commutation

relations of quantum mechanics.
3. The impossibility of constructing quantum mechanics on the

basis of the algebra of bounded operators
Theorem. If self-adjoint operators Q and P satisfy the relation
QP − P Q = i I
then Q and P can not be bounded simultaneously.
Proof. By contradiction. Let A, B be bounded and satisfy
AB − BA = i I
Then
∀ n∈N AnB − BAn = i n An−1

Base of induction: n = 1 by assumption.
Inductional step: Assume AnB − BAn = i n An−1. Then
An+1B − BAn+1 = An+1B−ABAn + ABAn − BAn+1 =

= A |(AnB −
{z
BA n ) + (AB − BA) An = i(n + 1)An
} | {z }
= inAn−1 = iI
As A = A∗ , we have kAn k = kAkn and hence
A=0
n kAkn−1 ≤ 2 kAknkBk =⇒ (?!!)
∀ n∈N n ≤ 2 kAk kBk

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Mathematical Foundations

Saarland University, Spring 2023

 web-site containing some materials for our course

1. Bohr's correspondence principle

Axiom 4. Non-relativistic theory of interaction of a quantum particle

Axiom 0  probabilistic nature of experiment results

In classical mechanics the motion of a particle in a force eld with

For a detrministic description of the dynamics we x the initial data:

The motion of a classical particle determines its dynamic characteristics

Def. Observables for a classical particle are smooth functions on

Def. The observable

5. Equations of motion in Hamilton form

Theorem. Let F (t) be the values of some physical characteristic of a

{H, f } := ∇pH · ∇xf − ∇xH · ∇pf

Proof. d f (x(t), p(t)) = ∇ f · ẋ +∇ H · ṗ

7. Classical Poisson bracket

Def. Classic Poisson bracket is the map

{·, ·} : C ∞(R3 × R3) × C ∞(R3 × R3) → C ∞(R3 × R3),

Theorem. Let {·, ·} be the classical Poisson bracket on C ∞(R3 × R3).

• {f, g} = −{g, f } (skew-symmetry)

9. Properties of the commutator

Theorem. The commutator [A, B] of linear operators in a Hilbert

• [A, B] = −[B, A] (skew-symmetry)

Def. Dirac's canonical quantization is a map

πh : C ∞(R3 × R3) → { A : D(A) ⊂ H → H, A = A∗ }

• πh(f + g) = πh(f ) + πh(g)

Axiom 5. Quantum observables are obtained from the corres-

The product of self-adjoint operators is not necessarily a self-adjoint

So, the Dirac canonical quantization should be supplemented with a

For example, the product of functions f g is assigned Jordan product

fg 7→ πh(f )πh(g)  non self-adjoint

we use the matching

12. General denition of quantization

Def. A quantization of a classical system is an invertible map

πh : C ∞(R3 × R3) → { A : D(A) ⊂ H → H, A∗ = A }

1. Commutation relations of classical mechanics

Theorem. Classical observables of coordinates Xj ∈ C ∞(R3; R3) and

X1(x, p) = x1, X2(x, p) = x2, X3(x, p) = x3,

{Xk , Xj } = 0, {Pk , Pj } = 0, {Xk , Pj } = −δkj , k, j = 1, 2, 3

Proof: {f, g} := ∇pf · ∇xg − ∇xf · ∇pg

Theorem. Observables of coordinates Qj : H → H and momenta

[Qk , Qj ] = 0, [Pk , Pj ] = 0, [Qk , Pj ] = i~δkj I, k, j = 1, 2, 3 (∗)

Def. Operator relations (∗) are called the canonical commutation

3. The impossibility of constructing quantum mechanics on the

Theorem. If self-adjoint operators Q and P satisfy the relation

∀ n∈N AnB − BAn = i n An−1

Inductional step: Assume AnB − BAn = i n An−1. Then

An+1B − BAn+1 = An+1B−ABAn + ABAn − BAn+1 =

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web-site containing some materials for our course

Axiom 0 probabilistic nature of experiment results

In classical mechanics the motion of a particle in a force eld with

For a detrministic description of the dynamics we x the initial data:

fg 7→ πh(f )πh(g) non self-adjoint

12. General denition of quantization