Answer to the Question 03/97

The question was:
1. It is known that a real positive function (x) is a groundstate of a one-dimensional quantum Hamiltonian H. Find the potential V(x) of that Hamiltonian.

2. Suggest a way for construction of potential
V(x) and two functions (x) and (x) (i.e. all three functions can be chosen by you) in such a way that the functions correspond to the ground state and the first excited state of the quantum Hamiltonian.

(8/97) The problem was solved correctly by Adi Armoni from TAU (e-mail: armoni@post.tau.ac.il).

The first part of the problem is simple: simply write down the Schrodinger equation and express V(x) in terms of everything else.
The second part is slightly more complicated: One assumes that the ratio between the eigenfunction of the first excited state and the ground state is some known function f(x). (E.g., f(x)=xn.) By writing down Schrodinger equation for (x) and =f(x)(x) we can get a first order differential equation for which can be readily integrated.
For a detailed solution see the following postscript file.

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