Mathematical Methods II

Assignment - II
1. Hidden so(4) symmetry of Hydrogen atom
Consider the Hamiltonian of the hydrogen atom
H = p~ p~

1
r

p
where r = q12 + q22 + q32 with (q1 , q2 , q3 ) being the Cartesian coordinates of R3 (the mass the
charges have been scaled so that they do not appear in the Hamiltonian!).
~ = ~r p~ and the Runge-Lenz vector
(a) Show that the angular momentum L
~ = p~ L
~ L
~ p~ ~q
R
r
are conserved quantities (i.e, commute with the Hamiltonian).
(b) Compute the commutators [Li , Lj ], [Li , Rj ] and [Ri , Rj ]. Do these form a Lie algebra?
(c) When the Hamitonian operator is treated as a non-zero c-number (which, physically,
means that you restrict yourself to energy eigenstates with equal eigenvalues), show that
Li and Ri form a 6-dimensional Lie algebra.
(d) By taking appropriate linear combinations of Li and Ri show that the six dimensional
algebra splits into the direct sum of two su(2) algebras. What happens when the energy
eigenvalue is zero?
~ R
~ = 0. Discuss the restrictions this imposes
(e) Show that for the hydrogen atom one has L
on the allowed values of su(2) su(2), and explain the degeneracies of the hydrogen
atom.
2. Consider the generators T a = 12 a of SU (3) Lie algebra in its defining 3 3 representation in
terms of Gell-Mann matrices a .
(a) Show that the generators T 1 , T 2 and T 3 form an su(2) subalgebra.
(b) Decompose the 8-dimensional adjoint representation of su(3) in to direct sum of irreducible representations of the su(2) subalgebra generated by T 1 , T 2 and T 3 .
(c) Starting from the simple roots of su(3):

1 = (1/2, 3/2), 2 = (1/2, 3/2)

construct its root diagram and plot it on a plane.
(d) What is the highest weight vector for the adjoint representation 8 of su(3)?
(Hint: You should find 8 = 1 2 2 3 where the right hand side are the su(2) irreps
given as their dimensions)
(e) Show that the fundamental representations of su(3) defined with highest weight states
being the simple roots are 3-dimensional. Show that they are complex conjugate representations of each other.

3. Tensors etc
Consider a general coordinate transformation of the Minkowski space-time
x x0 (x).
A scalar is a space-time function (x) such that
0 (x0 ) = (x)
A contravariant vector A (x) is one that transforms as
A0 (x0 ) =

x0
A (x)
x

and a covariant vector A transforms as

A0 (x0 ) =

x
A (x)
x0

similarly a general tensor is one that transforms as

0

00 0

x x
x0 x0

T (x)
0 0 (x ) =
x x
x00 x0 0
0

Consider the infinitesimal coordinate transformation x x0 (x) = x + (x) and show that
0
g
(x) g (x) = (g + g + g ) +

where represent higher order terms in .

4. Lorentz tranformations
A Lorentz transformation of space-time is a coordinate transformation

x0 = x [equivalently x0 = x (1 ) ]
such that x x = x0 x0 [equivalently x x = x0 x0 ] where
= diag(+1, 1, 1, 1) =
referred to as the metric of the Minkowski space. Then show that
(a) = (equivalently T = in matrix language)
(b) Number of independent parameters of is six.
(c) (det )2 = 1.
(d) 1 is also a Lorentz transformation.
(e) 1 2 and 2 1 are also Lorentz transformations if 1 and 2 are Lorentz transformations.
These properties make the set { GL(4, R) : T = } of 4 4 real matrices a group
w.r.t multiplication of matrices. This group is called the Lorentz group. The subgroup of
this with det() = 1 is the SO(1, 3) group - the proper Lorentz group.

5. Some tensor properties

(a) Starting from the transformation rule for a rank-2 covariant tensor, show that the metric
tensor of the Minkowski space is invariant under Lorentz transformations.
(b) Is Kronicker delta a tensor? Is it Lorentz invariant?
(c) The Levi-Civita tensor  is a completely anti-symmetry rank-4 contravariant tensor
with 0123 = 1. Starting from the transformation rule for a fourth-rank contravariant
tensor, show that the Levi-Civita tensor transforms as follows:
0

= det() 

under Lorentz transformations.1 Thus the Levi-Civita tensor is an invariant tensor under
proper Lorentz transformations but changes sign under parity and time-reversal.
(d) Express the product   in terms of Kronicker deltas.
6. Poincare group
Those coordinate transformations that leave the metric tensor invariant are said to be
symmetries (also calledisometries) of the Minkowski space-time.
(a) Show that the following (linear but inhomogeneous) coordinate transformation
x x0 = x + a
where is any Lorentz transformation matrix and a is an arbitrary constant 4-vector
leaves invariant.
(b) Show that these coordinate transformations form a group (this group is called the
Poincare group).
(c) How many independent parameters does such a transformation involve in general? What
do they represent?
7. One can construct representations of the Poincare group in terms of differential operators
acting on functions. i.e. if
x x0 = x + a x + x
such that
f 0 (x + x) = f (x) ,
then,
f = f 0 (x) f (x) = f (x x) f (x) = x f
defines for us, the differential operator that represents the translation and Lorentz operation
on functions. Define the element of the Lorentz group to be
i

U (, ) = e 2 M
1

+iP

Hint: To show this you need the identity

 A A A A =  (detA) .

 Find the differential operators that correspond to P and M . Here, and  correspond to the parameters of the infinitesimal Lorentz transformations and translations
respectively.
Obtain the commutation relations of the Poincare algebra, using the differential operators you have just found for the P and M .
Hint: As an example, consider an infinitesimal translation corresponding to  . Then,
f =  f  (iP f ) ,
where we have used the form of the translation operator. This leads to the identification
P = i in our conventions.
8. Conformal group
Consider two more transformations of the flat Minkowksi space R1,3 apart from the Poincare
transformations:
scaling:
x0 = e x
special conformal transformations:
x0 =

x + c x 2
1 + 2 c x + c2 x2

(a) Compute the transformation of the metric tensor under these and show that they
0
= f (x) .
leave the metric invariant up to a scalar factor, i.e,
(b) Set up the equations for vector fields (x) by demanding that under the infinitesimal
coordinate transformations x x0 (x) = x + (x) the metric tensor g transforms
as
0
g
(x) = e2(x) g (x)
and obtain the CKV equation
1
g + g + g = g (2 + g g )
4
(c) Extract the differential operator (vector field) representation of these conformal transformations (as in the previous exercise for the Poincare generators).
(d) Show that these vector fields satisfy the CKV equations applied to the Minkowski metric
.
9. Lorentz algebra
Consider proper orthochronous Lorentz transformations they are continuous transformations and one can consider infinitesimal version of such transformations. Let
= + M
where M is to be treat as infinitesimal, i.e, O(M 2 ) 0.

(a) Show that being a Lorentz transformation matrix implies

M T = M
which in turn means that M is an arbitrary 4 4 real antisymmetric matrix.
(b) Show that the most general solution for M can be written as
1
M = (L )
2
where are real numbers (parameters of transformations) and the matrices L =
L are given by
(L ) =
(c) Identify the (infinitesimal) parameter for boosts in the x, y and z directions in terms of
.
(d) Identify the (infinitesimal) parameter for rotations about the x, y and z axes in terms
of .
(e) Verify that the matrices M satisfy
[M , M ] = ( M + M M M ) .
10. Representations of Lorentz algebra
Consider the following linear combinations of Lorentz algebra elements M
()

Li

i
= M0i ijk Mjk .
2

(a) Verify that they satisfy

(+)

(+)

()

()

(+)

()

(+)

i. [Li , Lj ] = 2i ijk Lk ,
()

ii. [Li , Lj ] = 2i ijk Lk

iii. [Li , Lj ] = 0.

This splits the Lorentz algebra into two commuting subalgebras:

(+)

()

{Li } {Li }
each of which satisfy an SL(2, C) algebra.2 Each of these subalgebras can now be
represented independently by matrices.
(+)

()

(b) Verify that representing {Li i , Li 0} gives rise to the [so called ( 21 , 0) ]
representation of the Lorentz group elements
1

e2

e2

(+)

0i i i ijk ij k
4

M SL(2, C) .

()

(c) Verify that representing {Li 0, Li i , } gives rise to the [so called the (0, 21 )
] representation of the Lorentz group elements
1

e2
2

e 2

0i i i ijk ij k
4

= M

SL(2, C) .

The algebra of SL(2, C) is SU (2)-like but for the difference that the field is C as opposed to R for SU (2) algebra.

11. Clifford algebra and Spinors

Consider 4 4 matrices for = 0, 1, 2, 3 satisfying the following algebra
{ , } = 2 .
(a) Define 5 = i 0 1 2 3 and verify that ( 5 )2 = I4 and { , 5 } = 0.
(b) Defining S = 41 [ , ] verify that they satisfy the Lorentz algebra:
[S , S ] = ( S + S S S ) .
(c) Verify that the following matrices satisfy the above algebra




0 I2
0 i
0
i
=
, =
for i = 1, 2, 3.
I2 0
i 0
This realization of the Clifford algebra is called the Weyl basis.
1
(d) Compute the matrix representation of the Lorentz group element e 2 S from the Weyl
basis and show
! 

1 0i i i ijk ij k
4
2
1
M
0
e
0

=
.
e2
1 0i i i ijk ij k
1
0 M
0
e 2 4 
where M is again an element of SL(2, C).
(e) A spinor of the Lorentz group is defined to be an element
1

=
3
4
of the vector space C4 transforming as
1

(x) 0 (x0 ) = e 2 S (x).

where are the same Lorentz transformation parameters appeared earlier. Thus
spinors provide a representation of Lorentz algebra. However it is a reducible representation. To see this consider the projection operators P = 12 (1 5 ).
(f) Show that a general Dirac spinor projected by either of P is an invariant subspace
under Lorentz transformations:
1

e 2 S P = P e 2 S .
is a Lorentz scalar where := 0 is the Dirac dual spinor. Show that
(g) Show that
is a Lorentz vector.
the quantity
12. Let = (1, ~ ) and
= (1, ~ ). These are to be considered 4-vectors under the Lorentz
group. Define the 2 2 hermitian matrix X = x , where indices are raised and lowered
using the tensor = diag(1, 1, 1, 1). Prove the following properties:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

X X 0 = S X S is a Lorentz transformation if S SL(2, C).

x = 21 tr(
X).
Prove that = 21 tr(
S S ) is a Lorentz transformation.
Observe that (S) = (S). What does this say about the map between the Lorentz
group and the group SL(2, C) ?