Density Matrix Theory and Applications (Paperback)

Karl Blum

ISBN 10: 1441932577 / ISBN 13: 9781441932570

Published by Springer-Verlag New York Inc., New York, NY, 2010

About this Item

Paperback. The Second Edition of this highly regarded text continues to provide a systematic treatment of density matrix techniques. The text discusses basic principles and recent studies in atomic and molecular reactions. A new chapter explores the role of orientation and alignment in molecular physics. Quantum mechanics has been mostly concerned with those states of systems that are represented by state vectors. The use of density matrix methods also has the advan tage of providing a uniform treatment of all quantum mechanical states, whether they are completely or incompletely known. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781441932570

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Density Matrix Theory and Applications (Paperback)
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag New York Inc., New York, NY
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1441932577
• ISBN 13: 9781441932570
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: 2nd Edition
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Quantum mechanics has been mostly concerned with those states of systems that are represented by state vectors. In many cases, however, the system of interest is incompletely determined; for example, it may have no more than a certain probability of being in the precisely defined dynamical state characterized by a state vector. Because of this incomplete knowledge, a need for statistical averaging arises in the same sense as in classical physics. The density matrix was introduced by J. von Neumann in 1927 to describe statistical concepts in quantum mechanics. The main virtue of the density matrix is its analytical power in the construction of general formulas and in the proof of general theorems. The evaluation of averages and probabilities of the physical quantities characterizing a given system is extremely cumbersome without the use of density matrix techniques. The representation of quantum mechanical states by density matrices enables the maximum information available on the system to be expressed in a compact manner and hence avoids the introduction of unnecessary variables. The use of density matrix methods also has the advan­ tage of providing a uniform treatment of all quantum mechanical states, whether they are completely or incompletely known. Until recently the use of the density matrix method has been mainly restricted to statistical physics. In recent years, however, the application of the density matrix has been gaining more and more importance in many other fields of physics.

Review

from a review of the First Edition:
`[The author's] clear pedagogic style makes this a very useful reference work for readers who want to learn density matrix theory. ... Highly recommended, particularly for graduate school physics libraries.'
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