6/6/2015

The Theoretical Minimum: Quantum Mechanics, Possible Errata

The Theoretical Minimum: Quantum

Mechanics, Possible Errata
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Possible Errata
WehavebeenunabletofindanofficialErratalistfortheTheoreticalMinimum:QuantumMechanicsbook
soMartynhassuggestedweputonehere.WehavenoconfirmationthattheitemslistedareindeedErrata
beyondthemlookingdodgytous.

Page

Details

Date

Unit vector v1 missing from 2 places.

22 Oct 14
ref Ramo

68

126

Exercise 4.6; the phrase "and the final observable is sigma x." does not seem to relate to the rest of the exercise

16 Oct 14

192

Exercise 7.3 b) should refer to 2x1 matrix instead of 4x1

16 Oct 14

192

Exercise 7.3 d) last item should refer to 4x1 rather than 4x4

16 Oct 14

2012

Inconsistent use of upper and lower case psi. We think the intention is to use capital psi for a state vector and
lower case psi for a wavefunction

16 Oct 14

Exercise 7.4 there is a matrix element left of the equal sign and a full matrix on the right
203

20 Oct 14

Density matrix in Exercise 7.4 is transposed, book has:

203

Would expect it to be as at the end of the following equation.

21 Oct 14
Ref Voppe
Updated
24 Oct 14

See end Exercise 7.4 solution for more detail.

The formula before eq. (7.26) has the indices a and a' of swapped assuming the Matrix-Column vector
multiplication is defined as usual ie.

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The Theoretical Minimum: Quantum Mechanics, Possible Errata

216

234

22 Oct 14
ref Voppe

Rap Sheet 3. The book says that the density matrix for the Full composite system of the near-singlet state is not
equal to the square of the density matrix and that the trace of the square is smaller than 1. Should be:

26 Oct 14
ref Voppe

See exercise 7.12 Rap sheet 3 numbers for details.

The integral in the middle of the page is missing dx. The formula should be:
5 Nov 14
ref Voppe

254

276

The first equation looks wrong; probably missing underneath. That and the following equation seems an odd
way of expressing the use of the chain rule (p36 Book1) but I doubt once the is added that they are actually
wrong. Need to check with someone else on this one; is just me at the moment.

16 Oct 14

There is a notation issue on page 261. The operator and the eigenvector notions are mixed up. Therefore
everywhere on the page the formula
261

307

should be replaced with

Last line of the page (e should be epsilon):

..., say of size e, ...
should be
..., say of size , ...

5 Nov 14
ref Voppe

5 Nov 14
ref Voppe

Formulas (10.27) and (10.28) for the raising and lowering operators of the harmonic oscillator are missing the
multiplication factors making them inconsistent with the formula at the bottom of P334. Revised versions of
(10.27) and (10.28) are shown below along with an expanded version of the P234 equation to demonstrate the
point.
3345

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11 Nov 14
ref Voppe

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The Theoretical Minimum: Quantum Mechanics, Possible Errata

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