Show that the effect of the ``infinitesimal translation'' operator
on the wave function
is to translate it forward in space by a small distance
,
Using the idea that any finite distance a may be may up of N tiny
steps of size (
for
and
), derive the form of the finite
translation operator
which shifts a the wave function by
the finite distance a.
Hint: Recall .
Now, using the expansion
the Taylor series
where denotes the
derivative of f(x), and your
result for 1.2, verify that for your translation
operator indeed