Monday, July 25, 2016

quantum mechanics - Triangle inequality Clebsch-Gordan coeffcients


The Clebsch-Gordan coefficients can only be non-zero if the triangle inequality holds: |j1j2|jj1+j2

In my syllabus they give the following proof: jmj
j1m1j1
and j2m2j2


When m takes its maximal value, m=j, m1=j1 and m2=j2, and we get:


1) j1jj2j1 which implies j2j1jj1+j2


2) j2jj1j2 which implies j1j2jj1+j2


which should prove the triangle inequality.


This proof looks really simple, but I don't completely understand it though. It seems that I'm missing some essential reasoning, and I can't find where. Why for instance do they take for m1, m2 and m all maximal values? Can't I also take m maximal and m1 minimal? This would give bad results though. So I really don't understand it, and I hope that someone can clarify it.





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