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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1986 Aug;83(15):5360–5363. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.15.5360

Discrete wave mechanics: An introduction

Frederick T Wall 1
PMCID: PMC386285  PMID: 16593732

Abstract

Discrete wave mechanics is formulated for particles in one-dimensional systems by use of a simple finite difference equation. The solutions involve wave vectors (instead of wave functions) as well as a newly defined “wave vector energy.” In the limit, as c → ∞, the treatment reduces to that of Schrödinger's wave mechanics. Specific calculations are made for completely free particles as well as for particles confined to a one-dimensional box. The results exhibit a striking compatibility with relativistic considerations. The wave vectors show properties that can be identified with particles and anti-particles—each possess identical probability distributions with energies that add up to zero.

Keywords: finite difference equation, discrete wave vectors, wave vector energies, particles and anti-particles

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