Deriving the von Neumann equation from the Majorana–Bloch equation for arbitrary spin in any state

POSTER

Abstract

After publishing the derivation from the classical Bloch equation to the quantum von Neumann equation to the Schrödinger-Pauli equation for spin-1/2, we proposed renaming the Bloch equation to the Majorana-Bloch equation because Majorana's work predated Bloch's in the presentation of the Bloch equation by 14 years. Here, we first generalize our previous derivation to higher spins or angular momenta in coherent pure states. Using the polynomial representation of the coherent-state projector, we derive an invertible mapping from the Majorana-Bloch equation to the von Neumann equation, establishing a one-to-one correspondence between these two formalisms. Application of the Ehrenfest theorem also shows that expectation values in these states reproduce the classical equation of motion as expected. Then, we obtain arbitrary spin-s states by symmetrizing tensor products of spin-1/2 primitives, in accordance with the Majorana construction or the Schur-Weyl duality.

Publication: 1. Wang, L. V.; "Deriving the von Neumann equation from the Majorana–Bloch equation for arbitrary spin in any state," ArXiv preprint arXiv:2508.08414 (2025)
2. Wang, L. V.; "Derivation from Bloch equation to von Neumann equation to Schrödinger–Pauli equation," Foundations of Physics 52(3) 61 (2022) [PDF]; supplemental: arXiv:2407.08025

Presenters

  • Lihong V Wang

    • California Institute of Technology
    • Cal Tech

Authors

  • Lihong V Wang

    • California Institute of Technology
    • Cal Tech