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HARMONIC WAVELET SOLUTIONS OF THE
SCHR
¨
ODINGER EQUATION
CARLO CATTANI
DiFarma, University of Salerno,
Via Ponte Don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
E-mail: ccattani@unisa.it
ABSTRACT
In this paper nonperiodic harmonic wavelets, with band-limited Fourier transform, are considered. Their connection co-
efficients are explicitly computed at any order, thanks to a recursive formula. As application the Schr¨odinger equation is
solved at the lowest scale.
Key words: Harmonic Wavelets, connection coefficients, band-limited functions, Schr¨odinger equation
1. INTRODUCTION
The differential structure of (nonperiodic) harmonic wavelets [9] is investigated by explicitly giving the
connection coefficients (for the periodised harmonic wavelets see also [1],[3],[2],[4],[5],[8]). Because their
band-limited property in Fourier domain, these wavelets seems to be expedient for studying oscillations in
a small range time interval. So that the time interval is associated with a scale and the wave propagation
is investigated at each given scale, by showing the contribution of the wavelet details to the evolution.
The multiscale (or multiresolution) approach is a kind of approximation that at each scale increase the
“resolution” of the solution, so that at each scale more new details are added to the solution.
Harmonic wavelets are finitely defined orthogonal basis (derived from the Hardy-Littlewood basis),
infinitely differentiable functions. They are complex functions suitable for studying wave propagation.
The wave solution is searched as a truncated (to N) wavelet series. The wavelet coefficients of the series
are characterized by some linear differential equations. The construction of these equations follows from
the explicit computation of the connection coefficients. In wave propagation, very often, the approximate
solution is expressed in terms of functions which are significant only at a given resolution, and, some time,
2 Carlo Cattani
also the exact solution (like e.g. the D’Alemb ert solution of the wave equation) shows two fundamental
characteristic features of wavelets: the dilation (multiscale) and the translation properties.
We will see that the wavelet solution of the Schr¨odinger equation can be easily obtain as a wavelet
series, by using the connection coefficients.
The connection coefficients will be computed for any order of the derivative and a useful recursive
formula will be also given.
2. HARMONIC WAVELETS
Harmonic wavelets are the complex valued functions [1],[3],[4],[5],[8],[9]
ψ
n
k
(x) ≡ 2
n/2
e
4πi (2
n
x−k)
− e
2π i(2
n
x−k)
2πi(2
n
x − k)
, (2.1)
with n, k ∈ Z (see Fig. 1). Their Fourier transform [9] are the band-limited functions (see Fig. 2)
ψ
n
k
(ω) =
2
−n/2
2π
e
−iω k/2
n
χ(ω/2
n
) , (2.2)
where χ(ω) is the box function
χ(ω) ≡
1 , 2π ≤ ω < 4π
0 , elsewhere .
(2.3)
If we compare the harmonic wavelets (2.2) with the Morlet wavelets (see e.g. [6]),
ψ
n
k
(x) ≡ 2
−n/2
π
−1/4
e
2πif
0
(x−k/2
n
)
e
−x
2
/2
, f
0
≫ 0 ,
the Fourier transform of each harmonic wavelet is a band limited function (box function in the Fourier
domain) while the Fourier transform of the Morlet wavelets are shifted Gaussian. Harmonic wavelets are
closely related, in their definition, to the Shannon wavelets (see e.g. [7]), or sinc-function based wavelets,
which are band limited (box functions in the Fourier domain) too, but they are only real functions in the
x-domain.
If we assume as scalar product, of the functions f (x) , g (x),
⟨f, g⟩ ≡
∞
−∞
f (x) g (x)dx
= 2π
∞
−∞
f (ω) g (ω)dω = 2π
f, g
,
(2.4)
where the bar stands for the complex conjugate, we can easily check that (see also [9])
Harmonic Wavelet Solutions of the Schr¨odinger Equation 3
Theorem 2.1. Harmonic wavelets are orthonormal functions in the sense that
⟨ψ
n
k
(x) , ψ
m
h
(x)⟩ = δ
nm
δ
hk
δ
nm
being the Kroenecker symbol.
Proof.
⟨ψ
n
k
(x) , ψ
m
h
(x)⟩ = 2π
∞
−∞
2
−n/2
2π
e
−iω k/2
n
χ(ω/2
n
)
2
−m/2
2π
e
iωh/2
m
χ(ω/2
m
)dω
=
2
−(n+m)/2
2π
∞
−∞
e
−iωk/2
n
χ(ω/2
n
)e
iωh/2
m
χ(ω/2
m
)dω
which is zero for n ̸= m. For n = m it is
⟨ψ
n
k
(x) , ψ
n
h
(x)⟩ =
2
−n
2π
∞
−∞
e
−iω (h−k)/2
n
χ(ω/2
n
)dω
and, according to (2.3), by the change of variable ξ = ω/2
n
⟨ψ
n
k
(x) , ψ
n
h
(x)⟩ =
1
2π
4π
2π
e
−i(h−k)ξ
dξ .
For h = k (and n = m), is trivially
⟨ψ
n
k
(x) , ψ
n
k
(x)⟩ = 1 .
For h ̸= k, it is
4π
2π
e
−i(h−k)ξ
dξ =
i
(h − k)
e
−4iπ (h −k)
− e
−2iπ (h −k)
and since
e
±4iπ (h −k)
= e
±2iπ (h−k)
= 1 , (h − k ∈ Z) , (2.5)
the proof easily follows.
3. CONNECTION COEFFICIENTS
The first and second order derivatives of harmonic wavelets are
dψ
n
k
(x)
dx
=
2
−1+3n/2
i − 4 k π + 2
2+n
π x + e
2 i π (k−2
n
x)
−i + 2 k π − 2
1+n
π x
e
4 i π (k−2
n
x)
π (k − 2
n
x)
2
,
4 Carlo Cattani
-1 1
-1 1
-1 1
-1
1
-1 1
-1
1
Figure 1. Real (thick line) and imaginary (thin line) part
of the harmonic wavelets ψ
0
0
(x),ψ
1
0
(x), (first row) and ψ
2
0
(x)
ψ
3
0
(x) (second row).
and, respectively, (Fig. 1)
d
2
ψ
n
k
(x)
dx
2
=
2
n/2
4
n
i − 8 i k
2
π
2
+ 2
2+n
π x − i 2
3+2 n
π
2
x
2
+ 4 i k π
i + 2
2+n
π x
e
4 i π (k−2
n
x)
π (k − 2
n
x)
3
+
+
2
n/2
4
n
2 i k
2
π
2
+ 2 k π
1 − i 2
1+n
π x
+ i
−1 + i 2
1+n
π x + 2
1+2 n
π
2
x
2
e
2 i π (k−2
n
x)
π (k − 2
n
x)
3
.
They are infinitely differentiable functions, since it can be easily checked that
lim
x→k/2
n
d
p
ψ
n
k
(x)
dx
p
∝ 2
(p+2)n/2
i
n
π
n
< ∞ ,
but in the x-domain the computation of higher order derivatives implies cumbersome formulas. In the
Fourier domain, instead, the derivatives are simply given by
\
d
ℓ
dx
ℓ
ψ
n
k
(x) = (iω)
ℓ
ψ
n
k
(ω)
and according to (2.2)
\
d
ℓ
dx
ℓ
ψ
n
k
(x)
= (iω)
ℓ
2
−n/2
2π
e
−iωk/2
n
χ(ω/2
n
) (3.1)
The any order connection coefficients of the harmonic wavelets, are defined as
γ
(ℓ)nm
kh
≡
d
ℓ
dx
ℓ
ψ
n
k
(x) , ψ
m
h
(x)
. (3.2)
Harmonic Wavelet Solutions of the Schr¨odinger Equation 5
2
4
8 16 32
Figure 2. The Fourier transform of the harmonic wavelets
ψ
0
0
(x),ψ
1
0
(x), and ψ
2
0
(x) ψ
3
0
(x).
They can be easily computed by the following theorem (for the first and second order connection coeffi-
cients of periodic harmonic wavelets see also [3],[1],[4],[5],[8]).
Theorem 3.1. The connection coefficients (3.2) of the harmonic wavelets (2.1) are
γ
(ℓ)nm
kh
=
i
ℓ
2
nℓ
2π
δ
kh
ξ
ℓ+1
ℓ + 1
− (1 − δ
kh
)
ℓ
j=0
a
(ℓ)
j
ξ
ℓ−j
i
h − k
j+1
4π
2π
δ
nm
(3.3)
with
a
(0)
0
= 1 , a
(ℓ)
j
=
1 , j = ℓ
ℓ a
(ℓ−1)
j
, j = 0, . . . , ℓ − 1
(ℓ ≥ 1) (3.4)
and, as usual, [F (ξ)]
ξ
1
ξ
0
= F (ξ
1
) − F (ξ
0
).
Proof. From their definition (3.2), taking into account equations (2.4)-(3.1), it is
γ
(ℓ)nm
kh
= 2 π
∞
−∞
(iω)
ℓ
2
−n/2
2π
e
−iωk/2
n
χ(ω/2
n
)
2
−m/2
2π
e
iω h/2
m
χ(ω/2
m
)dω
which is 0 when m ̸= n.
When m = n we have, with the change of variable ω/2
n
= ξ,
γ
(ℓ)nn
kh
=
i
ℓ
2
nℓ
2π
4π
2π
ξ
ℓ
e
iξ(h−k)
dξ .
So that, when k = h, we obtain
γ
(ℓ)nn
kk
=
i
ℓ
2
nℓ
2π(ℓ + 1)
ξ
ℓ+1
4π
2π
=
(iπ)
ℓ
2
ℓ(n+1)
ℓ + 1
2
ℓ+1
− 1
. (3.5)
6 Carlo Cattani
When k ̸= h, the connection coefficients for ℓ = 1, 2, 3, 4, are
γ
(1)nn
kh
=
i 2
n
2π
e
iξ(h−k)
1
(h − k)
2
−
iξ
(h − k)
4π
2π
γ
(2)nn
kh
=
−2
2n
2π
e
iξ(h−k)
2i
(h − k)
3
+
2ξ
(h − k)
2
−
iξ
2
(h − k)
4π
2π
γ
(3)nn
kh
=
−i 2
3n
2π
e
iξ(h−k)
−
6
(h − k)
4
+
6iξ
(h − k)
3
+
3ξ
2
(h − k)
2
−
iξ
3
(h − k)
4π
2π
γ
(4)nn
kh
=
2
4n
2π
e
i ξ (h−k)
−24 i
(h − k)
5
−
24 ξ
(h − k)
4
+
12 i ξ
2
(h − k)
3
+
4 ξ
3
(h − k)
2
−
i ξ
4
(h − k)
4π
2π
.
(3.6)
In general, since
4π
2π
ξ
ℓ
e
iξ(h−k)
dξ =
−e
iξ(h−k)
ℓ
j=0
a
(ℓ)
j
ξ
ℓ−j
i
h − k
j+1
4π
2π
,
with a
(ℓ)
j
given by (3.4), there follows, according to (2.5),
γ
(ℓ)nn
kh
= −
i
ℓ
2
nℓ
2π
ℓ
j=0
a
(ℓ)
j
ξ
ℓ−j
i
h − k
j+1
4π
2π
, (h ̸= k) .
3.1. Recursive equations for the connection coefficients
The connection coefficients (3.3) of different orders are not independent. In fact, they can be constructed
according to the following:
Theorem 3.2. The connection coefficients (3.3) are recursively given by
γ
(ℓ+1)nm
kh
=
δ
kh
(iπ) 2
n+1
(ℓ + 1)(2
ℓ+2
− 1)
(ℓ + 2)(2
ℓ+1
− 1)
+ (1 − δ
kh
)
−2
n
ℓ
(h − k)
γ
(ℓ)nm
kh
+
i
ℓ
π
ℓ−1
2
ℓ(n+1)+n−1
(h − k)
2
ℓ
− 1
(1 − δ
kh
) δ
nm
γ
(1)nm
kh
=
3 (iπ) 2
n
δ
kh
+ (1 − δ
kh
)
2
n
(h − k)
δ
nm
(3.7)
Proof. Assuming n = m, let us first consider the case h ̸= k. It can be easily seen by a direct computation
(but also from the explicit values of γ
(ℓ)nn
kh
in (3.6)) that the polynomials
ε
(ℓ)
hk
(ξ) ≡ −
ℓ
j=0
a
(ℓ)
j
ξ
ℓ−j
i
h − k
j+1
Harmonic Wavelet Solutions of the Schr¨odinger Equation 7
fulfill the recursive equations
ε
(ℓ+1)
hk
(ξ) =
i ℓ
(h − k)
ε
(ℓ)
hk
(ξ) − e
iξ(h−k)
i ξ
ℓ
(h − k)
ε
(1)
hk
(ξ) = e
iξ(h−k)
1
(h − k)
2
−
iξ
(h − k)
so that (when h ̸= k) it is
γ
(ℓ+1)nn
kh
=
i
(ℓ+1)
2
n(ℓ+1)
2π
ε
(ℓ+1)
hk
(ξ)
4π
2π
=
i
(ℓ+1)
2
n(ℓ+1)
2π
i ℓ
(h − k)
ε
(ℓ)
hk
(ξ) − e
iξ(h−k)
i ξ
ℓ
(h − k)
4π
2π
=
−2
n
ℓ
(h − k)
i
ℓ
2
nℓ
2π
ε
(ℓ)
hk
(ξ)
4π
2π
+
i
ℓ
2
n(ℓ+1)
2π
e
iξ(h−k)
ξ
ℓ
(h − k)
4π
2π
.
Since
e
iξ(h−k)
ξ
ℓ
(h − k)
4π
2π
= (2π)
ℓ
2
ℓ
− 1
/(h − k), and
e
iξ(h−k)
1
(h − k)
2
−
iξ
(h − k)
4π
2π
= −
2 i π
(h − k)
we finally obtain
γ
(ℓ+1)nn
kh
=
−2
n
ℓ
(h − k)
γ
(ℓ)nn
kh
+
i
ℓ
π
ℓ−1
2
ℓ(n+1)+n−1
(h − k)
2
ℓ
− 1
γ
(1)nn
kh
=
2
n
(h − k)
.
Analogously we can easily derive the recursive formula when k = h. From (3.3) it is
γ
(ℓ+1)nn
kk
=
(iπ)
ℓ+1
2
(ℓ+1)(n+1)
ℓ + 2
2
ℓ+2
− 1
from where
γ
(ℓ+1)nn
kk
= (iπ) 2
n+1
(ℓ + 1)(2
ℓ+2
− 1)
(ℓ + 2)(2
ℓ+1
− 1)
γ
(ℓ)nn
kk
γ
(1)nn
kk
= 3 (iπ) 2
n
.
There follows the explicit recursive formula (3.7) for any value of the indices.
In particular, taking into account that k = 0, . . . 2
n
−1, h = 0, . . . 2
m
−1 we have for the first order (ℓ = 1)
coefficients γ
′nm
kh
, from (3.3), or equivalently from (3.6)
1
and (3.5), at the lower scales 0 ≤ n = m ≤ 2:
γ
′00
00
= 3πi
8 Carlo Cattani
γ
′11
kh
=
6 i π −2
2 6 i π
γ
′22
kh
=
12 i π −4 −2 −4/3
4 12 i π −4 −2
2 4 12 i π −4
4/3 2 4 12 i π
γ
′33
kh
=
24 i π −8 −4 −
8
3
−2 −8/5 −4/3 −8/7
8 24 i π −8 −4 −8/3 −2 −8/5 −
4
3
4 8 24 i π −8 −4 −
8
3
−2 −8/5
8/3 4 8 24 i π −8 −4 −8/3 −2
2 8/3 4 8 24 i π −8 −4 −8/3
8/5 2 8/3 4 8 24 i π −8 −4
4/3 8/5 2 8/3 4 8 24 i π −8
8/7 4/3 8/5 2 8/3 4 8 24 i π
Analogously, we have, for the connection coefficients of the second derivative, at the lower scales
0 ≤ n = m ≤ 2:
γ
′′00
00
= −28π
2
/3
γ
′′11
kh
=
−112 π
2
3
−2
(
4 π +12 i π
2
)
π
−2
(
4 π −12 i π
2
)
π
−112 π
2
3
γ
′′22
kh
=
−448 π
2
3
−8
(
4 π +12 i π
2
)
π
−8
(
π +6 i π
2
)
π
−8
(
4 π
9
+4 i π
2
)
π
−8
(
4 π −12 i π
2
)
π
−448 π
2
3
−8
(
4 π +12 i π
2
)
π
−8
(
π +6 i π
2
)
π
−8
(
π −6 i π
2
)
π
−8
(
4 π −12 i π
2
)
π
−448 π
2
3
−8
(
4 π +12 i π
2
)
π
−8
(
4 π
9
−4 i π
2
)
π
−8
(
π −6 i π
2
)
π
−8
(
4 π −12 i π
2
)
π
−448 π
2
3
4. HARMONIC WAVELET SOLUTION OF THE SCHR
¨
ODINGER EQUATION
Let us consider the Schr¨odinger equation:
i
∂Ψ
∂t
= −
~
2m
∂
2
Ψ
∂x
2
, x ∈ R , t > 0 (4.1)
~ being the Planck constant. As initial condition we take
Ψ(x, 0) = W (x) . (4.2)
Harmonic Wavelet Solutions of the Schr¨odinger Equation 9
If we assume that the solution can be expressed as harmonic wavelet series
Ψ(x, t) =
N−1
n=0
2
n−1
−1
k=0
β
n
k
(t)ψ
n
k
(x)
by a substitution into (4.1), and using the connection coefficients, we have, at the resolution N, the
following Cauchy problem in the wavelet coefficients
i
dβ
n
k
(t)
dt
= −
~
2m
N−1
m=0
2
m−1
−1
h=0
β
m
h
(t)γ
(2)mn
hk
,
W (x) =
N−1
n=0
2
n−1
−1
k=0
β
n
k
(0)ψ
n
k
(x)
For instance, if we take as initial condition W (x) = ψ
0
0
(x) so that N = 1 and β
0
0
= 1, we have the
equation
i
dβ
0
0
(t)
dt
= −
~
2m
β
0
0
(t)γ
(2)00
00
,
W (x) = β
0
0
(0)ψ
0
0
(x)
that is,
i
dβ
0
0
(t)
dt
= −
~
2m
−28π
2
/3
β
0
0
(t) ,
β
0
0
(0) = 1
whose solution is
β
0
0
(t) = e
−14i~π
2
t
3m
.
Therefore at the level N = 1, we have the solution (see Figs. 3-4)
Ψ(x, t) = e
(−14i~π
2
t)/(3m)
ψ
0
0
(x) .
It can be easily checked that this solution coincide with the one obtained by the classical method of
similarity, but it is obtained in a conceptual scheme different in the sense that the solution can be
“improved” by increasing the resolution level, i.e. adding more details to the evolving initial profile.
CONCLUSION
In this paper, some differential properties of non-periodic harmonic wavelets are given and discussed.
The any order connection coefficients are explicitly defined by a recursive formula. As application the
multi-level solution of the Schr¨odinger equation is given rediscovering at the lowest level the classical
10 Carlo Cattani
solution (usually obtained by the method of similarity). This method could be easily used for a further
investigation of the multiscale properties of the Schr¨odinger equation in order to show the contribution
of the higher levels.
Figure 3. Real part of the harmonic solution at the level N = 0 of the
Schr¨odinger equation.
-2
1-1
2
-1
1
0.3
-1
1
Figure 4. Projection of the harmonic solution on the (x, Ψ) plane (left) and on the (t, Ψ) plane of
the real part of the harmonic solution, at the level N = 0, of the Schr¨odinger equation.
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