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Kevin H. Lin
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Noether's Theorem in Quantum Mechanics

In classical mechanics:

If a Lagrangian L is preserved by an infinitesimal change in the state space variables qi -> qi + εKi(q) leads to only second order change in the Lagrangian: $$ 0 = \frac{dL}{d\epsilon} = \sum_i \left( \frac{\partial L}{\partial q_i}K_i + \frac{\partial L}{\partial \dot{q}_i} \dot{K}_i \right) = \frac{d}{dt}\left(\sum_i \frac{\partial L}{\partial \dot{q}_i} K_i \right) $$

Then we get our conserved momentum because the rate of change on the right side is 0.

In quantum mechanics, an observable A commuting with the Hamiltonian [H,A] = 0, corresponds to a symmetry of the time-independent Schrodinger equation Hψ = Eψ. How to we compute the conserved quantity related to A? In particular, what is the the conserved quantity associated with the identity operator?

john mangual
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