Exponential trial state for a half-harmonic oscillator

ID: exponential-trial-state-for-a-half-harmonic-oscillator

For the dimensionless half-harmonic oscillator on with , the trial family , , is admissible for the Rayleigh-Ritz variational principle. The moments give norm squared , derivative energy , and potential energy . Its Rayleigh quotient is , minimized at . The resulting upper bound exceeds the exact lowest eigenvalue three; the exact ground-state shape is .

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