Quantum mechanics without an equation of motion

Abstract

We propose a formulation of quantum mechanics for a finite level system whose potential function is not realizable and/or analytic solution of the wave equation is not feasible. The system's wavefunction is written as an infinite sum in a complete set of square integrable functions. Interaction in the theory is introduced in function space by a real finite tridiagonal symmetric matrix. The expansion coefficients of the wavefunction satisfy a three-term recursion relation incorporating the parameters of the interaction. Information about the structure and dynamics of the system is contained in the scattering matrix, which is defined in the usual way. The bound state energy spectrum (system's structure) is finite. Apart from the 2M − 1 dimensionless parameters of the interaction matrix, whose rank is M, the theory has one additional scale parameter. In the development, we utilize the kinematic tools of the J-matrix method.