Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation

noun

A unitary transformation of the orthonormal basis in which both the Hamiltonian and the state are represented; it has applications in high-energy physics.

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Meanings

nounFoldy-Wouthuysen transformation (plural Foldy-Wouthuysen transformations)

plural Foldy-Wouthuysen transformations

  1. natural sciencesA unitary transformation of the orthonormal basis in which both the Hamiltonian and the state are represented; it has applications in high-energy physics.

Origin

Formulated by Leslie Lawrance Foldy and Siegfried Adolf Wouthuysen in 1949.

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Cite this entry
APA

Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Foldy-Wouthuysen%20transformation

MLA

“Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Foldy-Wouthuysen%20transformation. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Foldy-Wouthuysen%20transformation.

Source: Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.