Published November 2004 | Version v1
Journal article

Umbral calculus, difference equations and the discrete Schroedinger equation

  • 1. Centre de Recherches Mathematiques and Department de Mathematiques et de Statistique, Universite de Montreal, C.P. 6128, succ. Centre-ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7 (Canada)
  • 2. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6 (Canada)
  • 3. Centre de Recherches Mathematiques, Universite de Montreal, C.P. 6128, succ. Centre-ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7 (Canada)
  • 4. Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Roma Tre and INFN, Sezione di Roma Tre, via della Vasca Navale 84, Rome (Italy)

Description

In this paper, we discuss umbral calculus as a method of systematically discretizing linear differential equations while preserving their point symmetries as well as generalized symmetries. The method is then applied to the Schroedinger equation in order to obtain a realization of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics in discrete space-time. In this approach a quantum system on a lattice has a symmetry algebra isomorphic to that of the continuous case. Moreover, systems that are integrable, superintegrable or exactly solvable preserve these properties in the discrete case

Additional details

Identifiers

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Journal of Mathematical Physics
Journal Volume
45
Journal Issue
11
Journal Page Range
p. 4077-4105
ISSN
0022-2488
CODEN
JMAPAQ

Optional Information

Notes
(c) 2004 American Institute of Physics