Quantum Mechanics on discrete space and time

Abstract

We propose the assumption of quantum mechanics on a discrete space and time, which implies the modification of mathematical expressions for some postulates of quantum mechanics. In particular we have a Hilbert space where the vectors are complex functions of discrete variable. As a concrete example we develop a discrete analog of the one-dimensional quantum harmonic oscillator, using the dependence of the Wigner functions in terms of Kravchuk polynomials. In this model the position operator has a discrete spectrum given by one index of the Wigner functions, in the same way that the energy eigenvalues are given by the other matricial index. Similar picture can be made for other models where the differential equation and their solutions correspond to the continuous limit of some difference operator and orthogonal polynomial of discrete variable.