might also associate individual wave fields. In this sense, the individuality empha-
sizes the stability of all materialelectrons, protons and so on.
Let us generalize the facts above. What should we understand about the state of
the systema motion, a rest, an interaction? These concepts exist in classical
mechanics. Something similar holds in quantum mechanics, but it is less determi-
nate. What is the meaning therein? If the system is presumably in one state, we
must consider that it is partly in another state, so that its real state represents the
superposition of all possible states that have non-zero probabilities. As a classical
analogue of the expression of this principle, one might apply a wave packet, for
which a complicated wave motion is resolvable into Fourier components; through
this analogy, quantum mechanics is generally called wave mechanics. As a result,
this principal idea yields a new theorya theory of probabilities or amplitudes of
physical states.
For states in quantum mechanics, as far as practicable, we use Dirac’s notation.
In this case, to each state we ascribe a ket vectorj?i, inside of which might
appear letters, words, numbers and other symbols. Keep in mind that in classical
mechanics a vector is also applied to describe motion, but it is Euclidian there,
whereas here Hilbert’s type prevails. VectorsjA
1i,jA2i,...that belong to a Hilbert
space might be added together and might be multiplied by arbitrary complex num-
bersc
1,c
2,..., as a result of which we obtain another vector
jAi5c
1jA1i1c 2jA2i1?:
This vector, which is expressible in a form of linear combination of others, is line-
arly dependent on them. Like a Euclidean space, the systems of linearly indepen-
dent vectors are therefore of special interest. Each physical state of interest is
expressible as an expansion in terms of these system vectors. Conversely, any such
state might describe a concrete state of a physical system. It is important that a pro-
cedure of multiplying the vector by the number gives no new state; for instance,
jAiand2jAidescribe one and the same state. The principle of superposition in
quantum mechanics has an important significance; considering the concrete physi-
cal problems, we generally appeal to this postulate.
Let us now consider Hamilton’s formalism, which we will review briefly with
regard to methods of classical mechanics. It is remarkable that the equations of the
oldtheory can be borrowed with a somewhat altered meaning to construct thenew
mechanics. Lagrange’s function of a mechanical system represents a function of
generalized coordinatesq
i, their temporal derivatives_q
i(generalized velocities) and
timet:
=5=ðq
i;_q
i;tÞ:
By definition, the momentum isp
i5@==@_q
iand the force isF i5@=/@q i. The
energy of the system equals
H5
X
i
pi_q
i2=:
2 Quantum Theory of Anharmonic Effects in Molecules