Unified description of bound, resonant and scattering states

Recently we have introduced a general method for calculating the discrete Hilbert-space basis representation of the Green's operators of those Hamiltonians which have infinite symmetric tridiagonal matrix forms. The elements of this matrix are used in the calculation of the Green's matrix in terms of a three-term recurrence relation and continued fractions. We specified our general approach to the case of the Coulomb problem and the Coulomb-Sturmian basis associated with it. As a further step, we can combine this new way of calculating the Coulomb-Green's matrix with a technique of solving integral equations in discrete Hilbert-space-basis representations. This provides us with a quantum mechanical approximation method which is rather general in the sense that it is equally applicable to solving bound-, resonant- and scattering-state problems with practically any potential of physical relevance. The method is especially suited to problems where Coulomb-like asymptotics have to be treated, but the formalism also contains the case of the free Green's operator as a special case. (author)