Constrained energy functionals obtained as solutions to a partial differential equation

Abstract

The constrained energy functional, defined by E0(a) =minSa{a〈Ψ‖Ĥ0‖Ψ〉a}, ai=a〈Ψ‖Âi‖Ψ〉a, i=1, ..., M, ‖Ψ〉a∈Sa, with a={ai} a preassigned set of expectation values generated by any state vector ‖Ψ〉a in the class Sa, is shown to satisfy a first order, but nonlinear, partial differential equation. The equation results by replacing the Lagrange multipliers introduced in an earlier paper by the corresponding partial derivatives of the to-be-found energy functional with respect to the constraints. Two alternative expressions for E0(a), one focusing upon the ground state eigenvalue of a modified Hamiltonian operator and the other upon the corresponding eigenvector, lead via standard Rayleigh–Schrödinger perturbation theory to two approximate partial differential equations for the energy functional. Both equations together with the imposed subsidiary conditions lead in turn to the same approximate E0(a). An example based on the linear harmonic oscillator illustrates the concepts presented in the formalism.