Math Chem

Homework 1 due date: Oct. 2, 2019

Problem 1: Review of Vectors

   
−3 3
2 1
(1.1) Two vectors are u = 
 1  , v = −2 and please answer the following questions:
  

0 2
1 1
(a) 2(u + 3v) (b) |u + v| (c) |u| + |v| (d) u · v (e) |v| v (f) | |v| v|
   
1 1
(1.2) What is the angle θ between the vectors 0 and −1?
  
1 0
(1.3) Please derive the orthogonal projection of u onto v(projv (u)), when
   
    3 1
6 3
(a)u = ,v = (b)u =  1 , v = 0
 
2 −9
−7 5
(1.4) What is the angle between the vectors a and b, if
(a)|a| = |b| = |a + b| (b)|a| = |b| = |a − b|

(1.5) A(3,0,2), B(4,3,0) and C(8,1,-1) are the vertices of a right triangle, and please answer
which one corresponds to the right angle?
   
u1 v1 P
(1.6) u = u2  , v = v2 . Prove that |u||v| cos θ = i ui vi .
u3 v3

Problem 2: Vector Space

(2.1) In a vector space V (F ), we have, for all |αi ∈ V and a ∈ F , show that
(a) 0|αi = |0i, (b) a|0i = |0i, (c) (−a)|αi = a| − αi = −a|αi,
(d) if a|αi = |0i, then a = 0 or |αi = |0i.

(2.2) |αi, |βi, |γi is a linearly independent set of vectors,

(a) Show that the set {|αi + |βi, |βi + |γi, |γi + |αi} is also linearly independent.
(b) Is the set {|αi − |βi, |βi + |γi, |γi + |αi} also linearly independent?
      
 1 −1 1 
(2.3) Show that the set of vectors 1 ,  1  ,  1  is a basis of R3 .
1 1 −1
 

(2.4) Find (a) the dimension of , (b) and a basis for, the solution space of the system of

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 Math Chem
Homework 1 due date: Oct. 2, 2019

equations.

x1 + 2x2 + 2x3 − x4 + 3x5 = 0

x1 + 2x2 + 3x3 + x4 + x5 = 0
3x1 + 6x2 + 8x3 + x4 + 5x5 = 0

Problem 3: Inner Product Space

     
3i 1 1+i
(3.1) Three vectors are |ui =  0 , |vi = 3 + 4i and |wi =  2i , please answer the
−i −2i 0
following questions:
     
(a) |ui − |vi (b) 3 |ui − (1 + i)|wi (c) −i|ui + i|ui (d) hu|vi


(3.2) Normalize each of the following vectors with respect to the standard inner product:
   1   
2 2
1
(a) 1  (b) 23  (c)3 + 4i
1
−1 −4 −2i
(3.3) If three vectors |ui, |vi and |wi satisfy the relation

hu|vi = 2, hv|wi = −3, hu|wi = 5, hu|ui = 1, hv|vi = 2, hw|wi = 7,

please answer the following question:

   
(a)hu + v|v + wi (b)hu − v − 2w|4u + vi (c)|ui + |vi (d)|ui − 2|vi + 4|wi

Problem 4: Orthogonality
       
1 2 −3 4
−2 1 4 3
(4.1) (a)Prove the vectors |v1 i = 
 3 , |v2 i = −4, |v3 i =  1  and |v4 i = 2 form
      

−4 −3 −2 1
4
an orthogonal basis for R .
 
−1
2
(b) Express the vector |ui =   3  as a linear combination of basis vectors from (a).


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 Math Chem
Homework 1 due date: Oct. 2, 2019

     
1 −1 1
(4.2) Given that the three vectors |α1 i = 1, |α2 i =  1  and |α3 i = 2 form a basis
1 0 1
for R3 , construct an orthonormal basis for R3 .

(4.3) Use Cauchy-Schwarz inequality to prove ∀ a, b and θ ∈ R,

(a cos θ + b sin θ)2 ≤ a2 + b2

Problem 5: Hilbert Space

In the following problems we list solutions of the time-independent Schrödinger equation with
different potential V (x):
(5.1)A particle in a 1-D box: V (x) = ∞ for x < 0, x > L; V (x) = 0 for 0 < x < L.
 nπx 
hx|ni = A sin , n = 1, 2, 3, ...
L

(a)Determine the normalization constant A.

RL
(b)Show that solutions are orthogonal to each other, hm|ni = 0
hm|xihx|nidx = 0

(5.2)Harmonic oscillator: V (x) = 12 ω 2 x2

 
1 2
hx|ni = An Hn (y) exp − y , n = 1, 2, 3, ...
2
2 dn −x2 me ω 1/2


where Hn is Hermite polynomial, Hn (x) = (−1)n ex dxn
e and y = ~
x.
(a)Determine the normalization constants An .
R∞
(b)Show that solutions are orthogonal to each other, hm|ni = −∞
hm|xihx|nidx = 0

(5.3)Hydrogen atom: V (r, θ, φ) = 1/r

 
−r/a0 r
hr, θ, φ|1si = A1 e , hr, θ, φ|2si = A2 2− e−r/2a0 .
a0

(We only consider 1s and 2s states here.)

(a)Determine the normalization constants A1 and A2 .
R 2π R π R ∞
(b)Show that 1s and 2s are orthogonal to each other, 0 0 0 h1s|r, θ, φihr, θ, φ|2sir2 sin θdrdθdφ =
0.

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 Math Chem
Homework 1 due date: Oct. 2, 2019

Problem 6
(6.1) Establish the identity
1 1 i i
u · v = |u + v|2 − |u − v|2 − |u + iv|2 + |u − iv|2
4 4 4 4
for vectors in unitary space.

(6.2) Let C 3have the

 Euclidean
 inner
 product. Find an orthonormal basis for the subspace
0 −i
spanned by  i  and  0 .
1−i 1+i
(6.3) Let f = f1 (x) + if2 (x) and g = g1 (x) + ig2 (x) be vectors in complex C[0,1] and let this
space have the inner product
Z 1
hf |gi = [f1 (x) + if2 (x)][g1 (x) + ig2 (x)]dx.
0

Show that the vectors e2πimx , where m = 0, ±1, ±2, ... form an orthonormal set.

Problem 7
(7.1) Let P3 (the vector space of polynomials of degree ≤ 3) have the inner product
Z 1
hp|qi = p(x)q(x)dx
−1

Apply the Gram-Schmidt process to transform the standard basis S = {1, x, x2 , x3 } into an
orthonormal basis.
   
u1 v1
(7.2) Let |ui = u2 and |vi = v2 , show that the following expression does not define
  
u3 v3
3
an inner product on R , and list all inner product axioms that fail to hold.
(a) hu|vi = u21 v12 + u22 v22 + u23 v32
(b) hu|vi = u1 v1 − u2 v2 + u3 v3

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 Math Chem
Homework 1 due date: Oct. 2, 2019

Problem 8
(8.1) Let u be a vector in an inner product space V, and let {v1 , v2 , ..., vn } be an orthonormal
basis for V. Show that if αi is the angle between u and vi , then

cos2 α1 + cos2 α2 + ... + cos2 αn = 1

(8.2) Let f (x) and g(x) be continuous functions on [0,1]. Prove:

(a)
Z 1 2 Z 1  Z 1 
2 2
f (x)g(x)dx ≤ f (x)dx g (x)dx
0 0 0

(b))
Z 1  12 Z 1  12 Z 1  12
2 2 2
[f (x) + g(x)] dx ≤ f (x)dx + g (x)dx
0 0 0

(8.3) Let W be the space spanned by f = sin x and g = cos x.

(a) Show that for any value of θ, f1 = sin (x + θ) and g1 = cos (x + θ) are vectors in W.
(b) Show that f1 and g1 form a basis for W.