# §34.7 Basic Properties: $\mathit{9j}$ Symbol

## §34.7(i) Special Case

 34.7.1 $\begin{Bmatrix}j_{11}&j_{12}&j_{13}\\ j_{21}&j_{22}&j_{13}\\ j_{31}&j_{31}&0\end{Bmatrix}=\frac{(-1)^{j_{12}+j_{21}+j_{13}+j_{31}}}{((2j_{1% 3}+1)(2j_{31}+1))^{\frac{1}{2}}}\begin{Bmatrix}j_{11}&j_{12}&j_{13}\\ j_{22}&j_{21}&j_{31}\end{Bmatrix}.$

## §34.7(ii) Symmetry

The $\mathit{9j}$ symbol has symmetry properties with respect to permutation of columns, permutation of rows, and transposition of rows and columns; these relate 72 independent $\mathit{9j}$ symbols. Even (cyclic) permutations of either columns or rows, as well as transpositions, leave the $\mathit{9j}$ symbol unchanged. Odd permutations of columns or rows introduce a phase factor $(-1)^{R}$, where $R$ is the sum of all arguments of the $\mathit{9j}$ symbol.

For further symmetry properties of the $\mathit{9j}$ symbol see Edmonds (1974, pp. 102–103) and Varshalovich et al. (1988, §10.4.1).

## §34.7(iii) Recursion Relations

For recursion relations see Varshalovich et al. (1988, §10.5).

## §34.7(iv) Orthogonality

 34.7.2 $\sum_{j_{12}\,j_{34}}(2j_{12}+1)(2j_{34}+1)(2j_{13}+1)(2j_{24}+1)\begin{% Bmatrix}j_{1}&j_{2}&j_{12}\\ j_{3}&j_{4}&j_{34}\\ j_{13}&j_{24}&j\end{Bmatrix}\begin{Bmatrix}j_{1}&j_{2}&j_{12}\\ j_{3}&j_{4}&j_{34}\\ j^{\prime}_{13}&j^{\prime}_{24}&j\end{Bmatrix}=\delta_{j_{13},j^{\prime}_{13}}% \delta_{j_{24},j^{\prime}_{24}}.$

## §34.7(v) Generating Functions

For generating functions for the $\mathit{9j}$ symbol see Biedenharn and van Dam (1965, p. 258, eq. (4.37)).

## §34.7(vi) Sums

 34.7.3 $\sum_{j_{13}\,j_{24}}(-1)^{2j_{2}+j_{24}+j_{23}-j_{34}}(2j_{13}+1)(2j_{24}+1)% \begin{Bmatrix}j_{1}&j_{2}&j_{12}\\ j_{3}&j_{4}&j_{34}\\ j_{13}&j_{24}&j\end{Bmatrix}\begin{Bmatrix}j_{1}&j_{3}&j_{13}\\ j_{4}&j_{2}&j_{24}\\ j_{14}&j_{23}&j\end{Bmatrix}=\begin{Bmatrix}j_{1}&j_{2}&j_{12}\\ j_{4}&j_{3}&j_{34}\\ j_{14}&j_{23}&j\end{Bmatrix}.$

This equation is the sum rule. It constitutes an addition theorem for the $\mathit{9j}$ symbol.

 34.7.4 $\begin{pmatrix}j_{13}&j_{23}&j_{33}\\ m_{13}&m_{23}&m_{33}\end{pmatrix}\begin{Bmatrix}j_{11}&j_{12}&j_{13}\\ j_{21}&j_{22}&j_{23}\\ j_{31}&j_{32}&j_{33}\end{Bmatrix}=\sum_{m_{r1},m_{r2},r=1,2,3}\begin{pmatrix}j% _{11}&j_{12}&j_{13}\\ m_{11}&m_{12}&m_{13}\end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix}j_{21}&j_{22}&j_{23}\\ m_{21}&m_{22}&m_{23}\end{pmatrix}\*\begin{pmatrix}j_{31}&j_{32}&j_{33}\\ m_{31}&m_{32}&m_{33}\end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix}j_{11}&j_{21}&j_{31}\\ m_{11}&m_{21}&m_{31}\end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix}j_{12}&j_{22}&j_{32}\\ m_{12}&m_{22}&m_{32}\end{pmatrix}.$ Symbols: $\begin{Bmatrix}\NVar{j_{11}}&\NVar{j_{12}}&\NVar{j_{13}}\\ \NVar{j_{21}}&\NVar{j_{22}}&\NVar{j_{23}}\\ \NVar{j_{31}}&\NVar{j_{32}}&\NVar{j_{33}}\end{Bmatrix}$: $\mathit{9j}$ symbol, $\begin{pmatrix}\NVar{j_{1}}&\NVar{j_{2}}&\NVar{j_{3}}\\ \NVar{m_{1}}&\NVar{m_{2}}&\NVar{m_{3}}\end{pmatrix}$: $\mathit{3j}$ symbol, $j,j_{r}$: nonnegative integer and $r$: nonnegative integer Referenced by: Equation (34.7.4) Permalink: http://dlmf.nist.gov/34.7.E4 Encodings: TeX, pMML, png Errata (effective with 1.0.10): Originally the third $\mathit{3j}$ symbol in the summation was written incorrectly as $\begin{pmatrix}j_{31}&j_{32}&j_{33}\\ m_{13}&m_{23}&m_{33}\end{pmatrix}.$ Reported 2015-01-19 by Yan-Rui Liu See also: info for 34.7(vi)
 34.7.5 $\sum_{j^{\prime}}(2j^{\prime}+1)\begin{Bmatrix}j_{11}&j_{12}&j^{\prime}\\ j_{21}&j_{22}&j_{23}\\ j_{31}&j_{32}&j_{33}\end{Bmatrix}\begin{Bmatrix}j_{11}&j_{12}&j^{\prime}\\ j_{23}&j_{33}&j\end{Bmatrix}={(-1)^{2j}}\begin{Bmatrix}j_{21}&j_{22}&j_{23}\\ j_{12}&j&j_{32}\end{Bmatrix}\begin{Bmatrix}j_{31}&j_{32}&j_{33}\\ j&j_{11}&j_{21}\end{Bmatrix}.$