Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2017/ib/paper-2/17b/a/solution

For the quantum harmonic oscillator, the Time-independent Schrodinger equation is
with . The given dimensionless coordinate yields . Substituting the Gaussian factor gives
By the supplied normalizability fact, is a nonzero polynomial. If its degree is , comparison of the leading coefficient forces . Conversely, at this value the coefficient recurrence
produces a degree- polynomial with parity : start with a nonzero constant for even or a nonzero linear coefficient for odd , and the recurrence terminates at degree . This is a multiple of the Hermite polynomial. Its product with the Gaussian is square integrable and can be normalized. Therefore all and only the allowed energies are

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