Foundations of quaternion quantum mechanics

Finkelstein, David; Jauch, Josef M.; Speiser, David

doi:10.1063/1.1703794

Foundations of quaternion quantum mechanics

David Finkelstein
(
- Yeshiva U.
)
,
Josef M. Jauch
(
- Geneva U. and
- CERN
)
,
David Speiser
(
- Geneva U.
)

Oct, 1961

14 pages

Published in:

J.Math.Phys. 3 (1962) 207-220

DOI:

10.1063/1.1703794

View in:

reference search142 citations

Citations per year

Abstract: (AIP)

A new kind of quantum mechanics using inner products, matrix elements, and coefficients assuming values that are quaternionic (and thus noncommutative) instead of complex is developed. This is the most general kind of quantum mechanics possessing the same kind of calculus of assertions as conventional quantum mechanics. The role played by the new imaginaries is studied. The principal conceptual difficulty concerns the theory of composite systems where the ordinary tensor product fails due to noncommutativity. It is shown that the natural resolution of this difficulty introduces new degrees of freedom similar to isospin and hypercharge. The problem of the Schrödinger equation, ``which i should appear?'' is studied and a generalization of Stone's theorem is used to resolve this problem.

References(0)

Figures(0)

0 References