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Mathematics for Physics

3 Quantum Mechanics

Quantum mechanics is the phenomenon of wave and particle behaviors. A wavefunction is, fundamentally, a complex-valued function of position and time that completely represents the physical state of a system.

Quantum mechanics is also fundamentally related to classical mechanics because the physical state of a system is independent of whether it is represented by position or by momentum, and Newtonian trajectories are recovered in the macroscopic limit.

3.2 References

  1. Sakurai, J. J., & Napolitano, J. Modern Quantum Mechanics. Cambridge University Press, 2021. — the same state in position or momentum, and the macroscopic classical limit.
  2. Griffiths, D. J. Introduction to Quantum Mechanics. Cambridge University Press, 2018. — wavefunctions, the Schrödinger equation, and bound states.
  3. Knight, R. D. Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach with Modern Physics. Pearson, 2023. — wave-particle behavior, electronics, and spectroscopy.
  4. Feynman, R. P., Leighton, R. B., & Sands, M. The Feynman Lectures on Physics. — Newtonian trajectories recovered in the macroscopic limit.