chapter 6
The Mathematical Structure of Quantum Mechanics II
Physical observables—that is, quantities that can be measured such as position and momentum—are represented within the mathematical structure of quantum mechanics by operators. Mathematically, an operator, which can be represented by a matrix, is a map that takes a vector to another vector. The eigenvalues of the matrix tell us the possible results of a measurement of the quantity the operator represents, while the eigenvectors of the matrix give us a basis we can use to represent states.
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
In this chapter you will
• Learn about linear operators
• Be able to apply ...
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