INFINITE MATRICES MAY VIOLATE THE ASSOCIATIVE LAW

Authors
ALON OE MOISEYEV N PERES A
Citation
Oe. Alon et al., INFINITE MATRICES MAY VIOLATE THE ASSOCIATIVE LAW, Journal of physics. A, mathematical and general, 28(6), 1995, pp. 1765-1769
Citations number
3
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
Journal of physics. A, mathematical and general → ACNP
ISSN journal
03054470
Volume
28
Issue
6
Year of publication
1995
Pages
1765 - 1769
Database
ISI
SICI code
0305-4470(1995)28:6<1765:IMMVTA>2.0.ZU;2-N
Abstract
The momentum operator for a particle in a box is represented by an inf inite-order Hermitian matrix P. Its square P-2 is well-defined (and di agonal), but its cube P-3 is ill-defined, because P P-2 not equal P-2 P. Truncating these matrices to a finite order restores the associativ e law, but leads to other curious results.