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The Lumenary

Practice · First-year graduate

Mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics

Mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics

Warm-upHuman

A qubit is in the state ψ=35e0+4i5e1\psi = \frac35 e_0 + \frac{4i}{5} e_1. Measuring σz=diag⁡(1,−1)\sigma_z = \operatorname{diag}(1, -1), what is the probability of the outcome −1-1?

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Mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics

Warm-upHuman

A three-level system has an observable AA with orthonormal eigenvectors e1,e2,e3e_1, e_2, e_3 and eigenvalues 1,2,61, 2, 6. In the state ψ=(e1+e2+e3)/3\psi = (e_1 + e_2 + e_3)/\sqrt 3, what is the expectation ⟨ψ,Aψ⟩\langle \psi, A\psi \rangle?

Mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics

CoreHuman

In the state e0e_0 (spin up along zz), compare σσx σσy\sigma_{\sigma_x} \, \sigma_{\sigma_y} with 12∣⟨[σx,σy]⟩∣\frac12 |\langle [\sigma_x, \sigma_y] \rangle|, using [σx,σy]=2iσz[\sigma_x, \sigma_y] = 2i\sigma_z.

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Mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics

CoreHuman

On L2(0,1)L^2(0, 1) let P0=−i d/dxP_0 = -i\,d/dx with domain {ψ∈H1(0,1):ψ(0)=ψ(1)=0}\{\psi \in H^1(0, 1) : \psi(0) = \psi(1) = 0\}. Which statement is true?

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Mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics

CoreHuman

The proof of the Hellinger–Toeplitz theorem shows that the graph of an everywhere-defined symmetric operator AA is closed. Which theorem then gives that AA is bounded?

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Mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics

CoreHuman

With [a,a†]=1[a, a^\dagger] = 1, ah0=0a h_0 = 0 and ∥h0∥=1\|h_0\| = 1, compute ∥(a†)3h0∥2\|(a^\dagger)^3 h_0\|^2.

Mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics

CoreFormal

Which Lean statement correctly formalises no n×nn \times n complex matrices satisfy XP−PX=c⋅1XP - PX = c \cdot 1 with c≠0c \ne 0 (and is provable)?

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Mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics

StretchHuman

In Wielandt's proof that XP−PX=cIXP - PX = cI (c≠0c \ne 0) is impossible for bounded operators, one needs Pn≠0P^n \ne 0 for every nn. Why does no power of PP vanish?

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Mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics

StretchHuman

Which normalised states ψ∈L2(R)\psi \in L^2(\R) satisfy σXσP=ℏ/2\sigma_X \sigma_P = \hbar/2 exactly? Select all that apply.

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Mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics

CoreComputational

Write expectation(A, psi) returning ⟨ψ,Aψ⟩=∑i,jψi‾Aijψj\langle \psi, A\psi \rangle = \sum_{i,j} \overline{\psi_i} A_{ij} \psi_j for a square matrix A (list of rows) and a vector psi (list of complex numbers), and std_dev(A, psi) returning σA=⟨A2⟩−⟨A⟩2\sigma_A = \sqrt{\langle A^2 \rangle - \langle A \rangle^2} for a normalised psi and Hermitian A. The tests check Robertson's inequality for Pauli matrices.

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