Book Description

"This monograph presents a detailed study of a class of solvable models in quantum mechanics that describe the motion of a particle in a potential having support at the positions of a discrete (finite or infinite) set of point sources. Both situations–where the strengths of the sources and their locations are precisely known and where these are only known with a given probability distribution–are covered. The authors present a systematic mathematical approach to these models and illustrate its connections with previous heuristic derivations and computations. Results obtained by different methods in disparate contexts are thus unified and a systematic control over approximations to the models, in which the point interactions are replaced by more regular ones, is provided. The first edition of this book generated considerable interest for those learning advanced mathematical topics in quantum mechanics, especially those connected to the Schrödinger equations. This second edition includes a new appendix by Pavel Exner, who has prepared a summary of the progress made in the field since 1988. His summary, centering around two-body point interaction problems, is followed by a bibliography focusing on essential developments made since 1988. appendix by Pavel Exner, who has prepared a summary of the progress made in the field since 1988. His summary, centering around two-body point interaction problems, is followed by a bibliography focusing on essential developments made since 1988."--Résumé de l'éditeur.