Wong, Introduction to Mathematical Physics, Oxford UP, 1991

Answers and hints to selected problems

Copyright 2003 by Chun Wa Wong

Typos:

Please report typos and errors to:

Thank you.

Notations:

boldface = vector:
unit vectors:
matrix = {1st row, 2nd row, ...}:

cwong@physics.ucla.edu
a, A, n
e, i, j, k, n
{{1,2}, {3,4}} = 22 matrix

Chapter 1:
1.2.1.

(-i + 8j - 5k)/(90).

1.2.4.

If xy = diagonal on the xy plane, xyz = diagonal to the opposite corner:

xy,yz = yz,zx = zx,xy = 60 ,
xy,xyz = 35.3 .

1.2.5.

Hint: Distance from a plane = r.n,

where r = vector to any point on the plane,
n = unit vector normal to the plane.

1.2.7.

A sphere of radius b centered at a.

1.2.9.

Hint: Use Example 1.2.7,

or decompose into components X = x e(a) + y e(b) + z e(c), where a = b c.

1.2.11. A.(BC) = 0.

1.3.1.

1jk

as a 33 matrix = {{0, 0, 0}, {0, 0, 1}, {0, -1, 0}}.

1.3.3.

Hints: There are

1.4.2.

(a) e(r)/r,

1.4.3.

(r =(1, 1, 1)) = - (1/6) [2i + (1 + 3)j + (1 + 3)k].

1.4.4.

They have common equipotentials and lines of force.

1.4.5.

Hint:

1.4.6.

30 .

4! = 24
4!/2! = 12

(b) -2xi - 2yj + 4zk,

permutations of a, b, c, d, and
permutations of a, a, b, c.
(c) 1/r2,

(d) 0.

Show that the radius vector to the contact point between sphere and plane is also
normal to the plane.

1.5.1.

Hint: Use permutation symbols.

1.5.2.

Hint: Use # 1.5.1 (a).

1.5.3.

Hint: Use # 1.5.1 (a), Eq. (1.57), and # 1.5.1 (c), respectively.

1.5.5.

Hint: Use Eq. (1.60).

1.6.3.

(a) 0,

(b) /384.

1.7.2.

(a) 4/5,

(b) 0.

1.7.3.

(a) 0,

(b) 4.

1.7.6.

Hints:

1.7.7.

p > .

1.8.1.

0.

1.8.3.

Force in (b) is not conservative if n =/= 0.

1.8.4.

(a) 0, (b) 2 x, where

CS

B.d = 0,

CS

D.d = Q (total charge); CS = closed surface.

= .i.

1.10.1. See Appendix 1.4 on p.70 of Wong.

1.10.4. v = (d/dt)e + (d/dt)e + (dz/dt)ez;

a not given.

1.10.6 Hints: Derive and use the following expressions:

v = hi (dui/dt) ei,
a = { [(dhi/dt) (dui/dt) + hi (d2ui/dt2)] ei + hi (dui/dt) (dei/dt) }.

1.11.1. Hint: First express in spherical coordinates.

1.11.3. (a) e, 1/;

(b) 2r, 6;

(c) Not given.

1.11.5. (a) 3, (0, 0, 0);

(b) 0, - e /;

(c) 0, ez(1 + ln )/;

1.11.9. (a) (.V) =

(b) .(V) =

(d), (e) Not given.

ei (/si) [(1/pj) (/sj) (pj Vj)];

(1/pi) (/si) [(pi/hk) (/sj) (hk Vk)];

(c), (d) Not given.

Answers for Chapter 2:

2.2.2.

Use the identity:

R(-) R() = R(-).

2.2.3.

A special case of the general result R() R() = R(+).

2.2.13. = -30, = 60.

2.2.14. Use the definition

ij

= einew . ejold to get = {{0,1,0},{0,0,1},{1,0,0}}.

2.3.2.

Use the identity:

det(AB) = det(A) det(B).

2.3.4.

When k i, the resulting expression is a determinant with two identical rows or

columns.

2.3.6.

{{-43,22,-3},{38,-20,6},{-3,6,-3}}/24.

2.3.7.

(a) Do it by long hand.

(b) Prove and use the identity

lmn

det A =

i,j,k ijk

Ali Amj Ank .

2.3.8.

x = (-1, 2, 0)/3.

2.4.1.

x = const a1 a2; e(x) = (1, -2, 1)/6.

2.4.2.

Rank = 2 for all three cases. For (c), first show that a3 = -a1 + 2a2 .

2.5.1.

(c) The eigenvectors are

e3 = (1, 1, .2)/2.
(d) The eigenvectors are
e3 = (-1, 1, 0, 0)/2,
(e) The eigenvectors are
e3 = (-1, 1, 0, 0)/2,

e1 = (1, -1, 0)/2,

e2 = (1, 1, -2)/2,

e1
e4
e1
e4

e2 = (0, 0, -1, 1)/2,

(-1, -1, 1, 1)/4,

(1, 1, 1, 1)/4.
(-1, 0, 0, 1)/2,
(1, 1, 1, 1)/4.

e2 = (-1, 0, 1, 0)/2,

2.6.1.

(a)

2.6.2.

Hint: Show that det (K-M) is a polynomial of degree n-m in with the help of a
unitary transformation that diagonalizes M.

= 3.12, e1 = (8.36, 1)/8.42;

=
=
=
=

= 0.21, e2 = (1, -2.79)/2.96.

2.7.1.

Hint: Have AB and then BA multiply an eigenvector ei of A. Discuss separately the

cases when the eigenvalues are non-degenerate and when one group of
eigenvalues
are degenerate.
2.7.6.

Hint: Use the result det Q 0.

2.7.7.

There are only n-1 eigenvalues and eigenvectors.

2.7.8.

Hint: First relate eH to eD.

2.9.1.

(a) (r) = kQ (s.r)/r3, k = 1/(40).

(b) (r) = kQ (3 cos2 - 1)/(4r3).

2.9.2.

Direction of propagation is e(k) for u1 and u4, and - e(k) for u2 and u3 .

2.9.3.

The identity group element is the rectangular zero matrix Z whose matrix elements are
zeros. The inverse of a matrix A and -A.

2.9.4.

Hint: Products of nonsingular matricies are nonsingular.

2.9.5.

Hint: All rotation matrices are nonsingular and made up of direction cosines.

2.9.6.

Hint: These groups all have the same group table, i.e., all 16 matrix products M iMj of
the four group elements Mi.

2.10.1. J = (Jx + Jy + Jz)/3.

2.10.2. J3 can also be conisdered a 22 (sub)matrix (in the xy-plane). Then J 32 = I. Use this to
show that exp(i J3) = cos + i J 3 sin in this 2-dim subspace before going back to 33
matrices.
2.10.5. (a)
(b)
(c)

Try proof by induction.

First show that [B, An] = nAn-1 = (/A) An .
Show that both the left-hand side and the right-hand side satisfy the differential
equation
(d/dx) g(x;A,B) = (A+B) g(x;A,B).
Since the two sides agree at x = 0, they must agree at all values of x.

2.10.7. Hint: First show that for any vector A: (d/dt)fixed A = (d/dt)rot A + A .
(b)
The first line of the equation should read
afixed = (d/dt)rot vfixed + vfixed .
2.10.8. There are 12 terms, 6 terms with positive signs, and six terms with negative signs.
These terms cancel pairwise.
2.11.1. Ther are n(n-1)/2 conditions corresponding to the off-diagaonal matrix elements of I
above the main diagonal, and n conditions from the diagonal matrix elements. The conditions
from the off-diagonal matrix elements of I below the main diagonal are the same as those
above the main diagonal for the orthogonality relations.
2.11.2. Conditions corresponding to off-diagonal matrix elements of I above and below the main
diagonal are independent of each other for the unitarity relations.

Answers for Chapter 3:

3.3.1.

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

a0
a0
an
an

=
=
=
=

/2, an = [(-1)n - 1]/(n2); bn = (-1)n+1/n.

1,
an = 0;
bn = [1 - (-1)n]/(n).
0;
bn = { [1/(a-n)] sin(a-n) - [1/(a+n)] sin(a+n) }/.
{ [1/(a-n)] sin(a-n) + [1/(a+n)] sin(a+n) }/; b n = 0.

3.3.2.

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

an
a0
a0
an
an

=
=
=
=
=

(-1)n
L,
L/2,
0;
0;

(eL - e-L)/{L[1 + (n/L)2 ];

an = [(-1)n - 1] 2L/(n)2 ;
aodd n = 0; aeven n = [(-1)n/2
bn = (2/n) [cos(n/3) - (-1)n].
bodd n = (-1)(n-1)/2 4L/(n)2 ,

bn = an(- n/L).
bn = 0.
- 1] 4L/(n)2 ; bn = 0.
beven n = 0.

3.3.3.

All
bn
(a)
a0
(b)
a0
(c) & (e)
(d)
a0

= 0.
= (eL - 1) (2/L), an = [eL(-1)n - 1] 2/{L[1 + (n/L)2 ].
= L,
a odd n = - 4L/(n)2 , aeven n = 0.
a0 = L/2, a n 0 only when n = 2, 6, 10, ... when a n = - 8L/(n)2 .
= 4/3; an = - (2/n) sin(n/3).

3.3.4.

All
an
(a)
bn
(b)
bn
(c) & (e)
(d)
bn

= 0.
= [eL(-1)n - 1] 2/{L[1 + (n/L)2 ] (-n/L).
= (2L/n) (-1)n+1 .
beven n = 0, bodd n = (-1)(n-1)/2 4L/(n)2 .
= (2/n) [cos(n/3) - (-1)n].

3.3.5.

Use the Fourier-series expansion of the Dirac -function to get directly the result
f(x) = a0 /2 + [ cn cos(nx/L) + dn sin(nx/L) ], where
B

cn = (1/L)
3.3.6.

F ( x) cos(nx / L)dx
A

F ( x) sin(nx / L)dx

, dn = (1/L) A

Answers are all of the form f(x) = a0 /2 + [ an cos(2nx/L) + bn sin(2nx/L) ],

L

a0 = (2/L)

F ( x)dx
0

F ( x) cos(2nx / L)dx

, an = (2/L) 0

F ( x) sin(2nx / L)dx

bn = (2/L) 0

(a)
a0 = (eL - 1) (2/L), an = (eL - 1) 2/{L[1 + (n/L)2 ];
bn = an (-2n/L).
(b)
a0 = L, an = 0; b n = - L/(n) ,
(c) & (e)
a0 = L/2, a n = [(-1)n - 1] L/(n)2 ;
bn = 0 .
(d)
a0 = 4/3; an = - (1/n) sin(2n/3);
bn = (1/n) [cos(2n/3) - 1].
3.3.7.

f(x) = (/4) [(/2) - |x|].

3.3.8.

g1(x) = odd part of f(x) = f odd (x);

g2(x) = f odd, even (x);
g3(x) = f (x), if x>0; = - f(|x|), if x<0. [= odd-extension of f(x)]
g4(x) = (g3)odd, even (x).

where

3.3.9.

This is a difficult problem. Hints:

(a)
Use the result of #3.3.6(b) with L=1.
(b)
Ue the reult of Example 3.3.2 (on p. 141).
(c)
Extend the functions u(x) & v2(x) to outside the range (0,1).

3.3.10. Misprints:

3B 3A; RHS of answer:

c x.

3.4.1.

(x-x) = 1 /(2L) + (1/L) [ cos(nx/L) cos(nx/L) + sin(nx/L) sin(nx/L)] .

3.4.2.

(a)
(b)

3.4.3.

G(x) = (4/)

3.4.4.

a0 = 1/L, b n = 0.
For D (x-x): a0 = 1/L,

(x-x) = 1 /L + (2/L) cos(nx/L) cos(nx/L) .

(x-x) = (2/L) sin(nx/L) sin(nx/L) .
odd n

(1/n) sin(nx/L) .
a n = (1/L) cos(nx/L); b n = (1/L) sin(nx/L) .

3.5.1.

[1/(2)] b/[(a + ik)2 + b2] .

3.5.2.

3-dimensional Fourier transfor: F{(x,y,z)} = (2)-3/2 e -ik.r (x,y,z) dx dy dz

= (2/) 2 a02 /(1 + a02 k2 )2 .

3.5.3.

(2)-1/2 cos(b/2)/{cosh [k + i ( - b/2 - c)] + cos(b/2)}.

3.5.4.

Hints: Derive and use relations: F{f(ax)} = g(k/a)/a; F{f(x) e ibx } = g(k - b).
F{f(-|a|x)} = g(-k/|a|) / |a|.

3.5.6.

Hints: Derive and use relations (a>0): F{1/(x-ia)} = i (2) e ak (-k);

F{1/(x+ia)} = - i (2) e -ak (k).

3.6.1.

(a) F{G(t)} = (2)-1/2 /( + + i), (b) f(t) = A e -(+)t (t).

3.6.2.

Hints:

3.7.1.

(2)-1/2 .

3.8.1.

(b)

3.8.2.

Hint: Show that + is Hermitian, but - is anti-Hermitian.

3.8.3.

Hint: Show that if vi = eigenvector of M, then so is Nvi .

3.9.2.

(a)
(b)
(c)

1/[( - + ) ( - - )] = [1/( - + ) - 1/( - - )] / (+ - - ).

|g(k)|2 = 0 at k = .

c0
c2
c0
c2
c0
c2

=
=
=
=
=
=

(1/k) sin k,
c1 = (3i /k)[(1/k) sin k - cos k],
[15/(2k)]{ [(2/k2) - 1] sin k + 2 cos k } - [5/(2k)] sin k.
(1/) sinh ,
c1 = (3/)[(1/) sinh - cosh ],
[15/(2)] { [(2/2) + 1] sinh - (2/) cosh } - [5/(2)] sinh .
(1/2) (1 + )/[1 - (1/n)],
c1 = (3/2) (1 - )/[2 - (1/n)],
(15/4) (1 + )/[3 - (1/n)] - (5/4) (1 + )/[1 - (1/n)],

where = (-1)-1/n = e -i/n .

3.9.3.

F(x) =

Fn en(x), where

(x-x) = n en(x)en(x) =
3.11.1. (a)
(b)

en(x) = [(2n + 1)/2]1/2 Pn (x),

Fn = ( en, F) = en(x) F(x) dx.
[(2n + 1)/2] n Pn(x)Pn(x) .

Integrate entry 4 of Appendix 3A to get 4 /90 ( = 1.0823...).

First integrate entry 2 of Appendix 3B to get n (1/n6 ) = 6/945. By
separating even and odd n terms, show that the final result is
(31/32) 6 /945 = 0.98555...

3.11.2. (/2) n (1/n2 ) = 3/12.

3.12.1. Hint: Start with the Fourier series for x2 , Example 3.3.3.
3.12.2. Hint: Start with the Fourier series for x , Example 3.3.1.
3.12.3. Hint: The function x that appears at an intermediate step is eliminated by using the
Fourier series given in Example 3.3.1.
3.12.4. (a)

(-x)/2 in (0,2),

(b)

(3x 2 - 6x + 2 2 )/12 in [0,2].

Answers for Chapter 6:

The answers are given in many of the problems in this chapter.
6.2.4.

(a)
(b)

Only at x = (n + 1/2) on the x-axis.

Only at y = (n + 1/2) on the y-axis.

6.2.10. Prove and use the sum formula: (n=0,1,...,N) eiNx = [ei(N+a)x - 1]/(eix -1).
6.2.12. (a)
(b)
(c)

An inversion transformation at z = 0.
An inversion transformation at z = -d/c plus a scaled change.
Translation plus a transformation (b).

6.3.1.

(a)

Function is in the second of two branches:

f2(2+) = f2(-2-) = -31/2, f2(2-) = f2(-2+) = 31/2.

(b)

Function is in the third of three branches:

f3(2+) = f3(-2-) = k231/3, f3(2-) = f3(-2+) = k231/3 ei2/3; k = ei2/3.

(c)

Function is in the third of four branches:

F4(2+) = f4(-2-) = -31/4, f4(2-) = f4(-2+) = -i31/4.

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

6 sheets
6 sheets
9 sheets
3 sheets

6.3.2.

(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)

Same as the function ln(z+i) - ln(z-i): sheets

sheets on that sheet of z containing the branch point z = -1 of the
logarithmic function.
6 sheets
6 sheets
The function (z + 1)1/3 has a Riemann surface of 6 sheets. The branch point
z = -1 and the branch line of the logarithmic function ln(z + 1)1/3 can be made to
appear on only one of the two square-root branches. There are 3 log branches.

6.3.3.

On the first branch for most choices of branch lines.

6.4.3.

(b)
(c)
(d)

6.6.1.

These are two separate problems:

Simple poles at zn = (2/2n+1) and an essential singularity (where?).

A simple pole on one of the sheets of (z + i).
A simple pole and many double poles

(a)
(b)

f(z) = z2 + iC, where C = const.

f(z) = eiz + C, where C = const.

6.8.1.

(e)

A Taylor series for |z-2| < 1, and a Laurent series for |z-2| > 1 with zero
regular part.

6.9.1.

(h)

Res[ f(0)] = 0; Res [f(n) ] = 1/(n)3 .

6.10.1. (b)
(c)

Use Eq. (6.56) to evaluate the residue.

RHS should read /18. Use Eq. (6.56) to evaluate the residues.

6.13.3. (b)

- ln t - , where , the Euler-Mascheroni constant, is conveniently defined by

the integral

(1 e t )
dt
t
.

Note on Bromwich integrals: The trouble with many Bromwich integrals is that after
simplification, one still has a difficult integral to evaluate. I think it is acceptable if the last
integral is found by looking up a table of integrals, or equivalently by using a computer software
such as Mathematica.