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How is the square matrix $\langle a''|A|a'\rangle=\langle a'|A|a'\rangle\delta_{a'a''}$

Could it be that we apply the closure property to it like

$\langle a''|A|a'\rangle=\sum_{a'}\langle a''|A|a'\rangle|a'\rangle\langle a'|=\sum_{a'}\langle a''|a'\rangle A\langle a'|a'\rangle=\langle a'|A|a'\rangle\delta_{a'a''}$

Is it even a correct method. Please help.

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  • $\begingroup$ Related post by OP: physics.stackexchange.com/q/690095/2451 $\endgroup$
    – Qmechanic
    Commented Jan 22, 2022 at 9:39
  • $\begingroup$ @Qmechanic How is it related? please explain. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 22, 2022 at 9:41
  • $\begingroup$ @Qmechanic is my method of inserting closure relation correct? $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 22, 2022 at 9:42

2 Answers 2

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You need to be careful with your summation indicies and bra/ket ordering. You can't sum over the index that you've already got in your expression for one \begin{align*} \langle \alpha | A |\beta\rangle = \langle \alpha | 1 A |\beta\rangle &= \sum_\gamma \langle \alpha | |\gamma\rangle\langle\gamma | A |\beta\rangle \\ &= \sum_\gamma \delta_{\alpha, \gamma} \langle \gamma | A | \beta\rangle \\ &= \langle \alpha | A |\beta\rangle \end{align*} Inserting the completeness relation here doesn't help you, it's more of a definition for a diagonal matrix. Only matrix elements on the diagonal i.e. $A_{ii}$ are non zero. All the other entries $A_{i\neq j}$ are zero.

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This has nothing to do with the closure property, rather, the properties of kronecker delta function itself.

The kronecker delta function $\delta(x_0,x_1) = 1$ 'if and only if' $x_0 = x_1$.

What the statement $$\langle a''|A|a'\rangle = \langle a''|A|a''\rangle \delta_{a''a'} = \langle a'|A|a\rangle \delta_{a"a'}$$ implies is that the square matrix is diagonal. The off-diadgonal elements are zero i.e. $a' \neq a'' \implies \delta_{a''a'} =0$ and hence, the matrix element is also zero.

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