h i g h l i g h t s• The Kronecker product is studied in terms of Hubbard operators. • Complicated calculations involving large matrices are reduced to simple relations of subscripts.• The algebraic properties of the quantum observables of multipartite systems are studied.• The Clebsch-Gordan coefficients are given in terms of hypergeometric 3 F 2 functions. • The results can be further developed in many different directions.
a b s t r a c tWe review the properties of the Kronecker (direct, or tensor) product of square matrices A ⊗ B ⊗ C · · · in terms of Hubbard operators. In its simplest form, a Hubbard operator X i,j n can be expressed as the n-square matrix which has entry 1 in position (i, j) and zero in all other entries. The algebra and group properties of the observables that define a multipartite quantum system are notably straightforward in such a framework. In particular, we use the Kronecker product in Hubbard notation to get the Clebsch-Gordan decomposition of the product group SU(2) × SU(2). Finally, the n-dimensional irreducible representations so obtained are used to derive closed forms of the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients that rule the addition of angular momenta. Our results can be further developed in many different directions.