Circular Scale of Time and Its Use in Calculating the Schrödinger Perturbation Energy of a Non-Degenerate Quantum State

The paper presents a circular scale of time—and its diagrams—which can be successfully applied in calculating the Schrödinger perturbation energy of a non-degenerate quantum state. This seems to be done in a more simple way than with the aid of any other of the perturbation approaches of a similar kind. As an example of the theory suitable to comparison is considered the Feynman diagrammatic method based on a straight-linear scale of time which represents a much more complicated formalism than the present one. All diagrams of the approach outlined in the paper can obtain as their counterparts the algebraic formulae which can be easily extended to an arbitrary Schrödinger perturbation order. The calculations and results descending from the perturbation orders N between N = 1 and N = 7 are reported in detail.

Circular Scale of Time Applied in Classifying the Quantum-Mechanical Energy Terms Entering the Framework of the Schrodinger Perturbation Theory

The paper applies a one-to-one correspondence which exists between individual Schr?dinger perturbation terms and the diagrams obtained on a circular scale of time to whole sets of the Schr?dinger terms belonging to a definite perturbation order. In effect the diagram properties allowed us to derive the recurrence formulae giving the number of higher perturbative terms from the number of lower order terms. This recurrence formalism is based on a complementary property that any perturbation order N can be composed of two positive integer components Na , Nb combined into N in all possible ways. Another result concerns the degeneracy of the perturbative terms. This degeneracy is shown to be only twofold and the terms having it are easily detectable on the basis of a circular scale. An analysis of this type demonstrates that the degeneracy of the perturbative terms does not exist for very low perturbative orders. But when the perturbative order exceeds five, the number of degenerate terms predominates heavily over that of nondegenerate terms.

Circular Scale of Time and Energy of a Quantum State Calculated from the Schrodinger Perturbation Theory

The main facts about the scale of time considered as a plot of a sequence of events are submitted both to a review and a more detailed calculation. Classical progressive character of the time variable, present in the everyday life and in the modern science, too, is compared with a circular-like kind of advancement of time. This second kind of the time behaviour can be found suitable when a perturbation process of a quantum-mechanical system is examined. In fact the paper demonstrates that the complicated high-order Schrodinger perturbation energy of a non-degenerate quantum state becomes easy to approach of the basis of a circular scale. For example for the perturbation order N = 20 instead of 19! ≈ 1.216 × 1017 Feynman diagrams, the contribution of which should be derived and calculated, only less than 218 ≈ 2.621 × 105 terms belonging to N = 20 should be taken into account to the same purpose.

Circular Scale of Time and Construction of the Schrodinger Perturbation Series for Energy Made Simple

Physically the examined perturbation problem can be regarded as a set of collision events of a time-independent perturbation potential with a quantum system. As an effect of collisions there is an expected definite change of energy of an initially unperturbed state of the system to some stationary perturbed state. The collision process certainly occupies some intervals of time which, however, do not enter the formalism. A striking property is the result of a choice of the sequence of collisions according to the applied circular scale of time: the scale produces almost automatically the energy terms predicted by the Schrödinger perturbation theory which usually is attained in virtue of complicated mathematical transformations. Beyond of the time scale and its rules—strictly connected with the perturbation order N introduced by Schrödinger—a partition process of the number N-1 is applied. This process, combined with contractions of the time points on the scale, provides us precisely with the perturbation terms entering the Schrödinger theory.

Circular Scale of Time as a Guide for the Schrodinger Perturbation Process of a Quantum-Mechanical System

We point out that a suitable scale of time for the Schrödinger perturbation process is a closed line having rather a circular and not a conventional straight-linear character. A circular nature of the scale concerns especially the time associated with a particular order N of the perturbation energy which provides us with a full number of the perturbation terms predicted by Huby and Tong. On the other hand, a change of the order N—connected with an increased number of the special time points considered on the scale—requires a progressive character of time. A classification of the perturbation terms is done with the aid of the time-point contractions present on a scale characteristic for each N. This selection of terms can be simplified by a partition procedure of the integer numbers representing N-1. The detailed calculations are performed for the perturbation energy of orders N=7 and N=8 .

Circular Scale of Time as a Way of Calculating the Quantum-Mechanical Perturbation Energy Given by the Schrodinger Method

The Schrodinger perturbation energy for an arbitrary order N of the perturbation has been presented with the aid of a circular scale of time. The method is of a recurrent character and developed for a non-degenerate quantum state. It allows one to reduce the inflation of terms necessary to calculate known from the Feynman’s diagrammatical approach to a number below that applied in the original Schrodinger perturbation theory.

Can the Physics of Time Be Helpful in Solving the Differential Eigenequations Characteristic for the Quantum Theory?

The main differential equations of quantum theory are the eigenequations based on the energy operator;they have the energy as eigenvalues and the wave functions as eigenfunctions. A usual complexity of these equations makes their accurate solutions accessible easily only for very few physical cases. One of the methods giving the approximate solutions is the Schrödinger perturbation theory in which both the energies and wave functions of a more complicated eigenproblem are approached with the aid of similar parameters characteristic for a less complicated eigenproblem. No time parameter is necessary to be involved in these calculations. The present paper shows that the Schrödinger perturbation method for non-degenerate stationary quantum states, i.e. the states being independent of time, can be substantially simplified by applying a circular scale of time separately for each order of the perturbation theory. The arrangement of the time points on the scale, combined with the points contractions, gives almost immediately the series of terms necessary to express the stationary perturbation energy of a given eigenproblem. The Schrödinger’s method is compared with the Born-Heisenberg-Jordan perturbation approach.