Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2013/ib/paper-4/6b/solution

Applying the angular momentum operator directly gives
For an eigenvalue , comparison with gives and . The first identity excludes ; differentiating it and using the second gives . No additive constant in is permitted. The possibilities are , , and , .
For , the polynomial is homogeneous of degree two and satisfies . Expanding the three squared orbital angular momentum operators gives, with ,
Here and . Therefore . This is the degree-two case of angular momentum of a homogeneous harmonic polynomial; its angular labels are , .

New to topics? Read the docs here!