THE FRIEDEN-SOFFER PRINCIPLE AND WAVE-FUNCTIONS THAT MAXIMIZE SHANNONMEASURE

Starting with a wave function psi of a form that automatically extremi zes Shannon's information measure according to Jaynes' maximum entropy principle (MEP), we show how, with the help of Frieden and Soffer's p rinciple of extremal information (EPI), one can devise a potential V(x ) that, if taken as a constraint in extremizing the Frieden-Soffer act ion, transforms psi, into an exact solution of Schrodinger's equation for V(x). The concomitant procedure illustrates the connection between two apparently disparate physical principles (MEP and EPI). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.