The influence of the boundedness of polynomial potentials on the spectrum of the Schrödinger equation (Q1201063)

The author studies the one-dimensional Schrödinger equation for polynomial potentials \(H\psi(x)=E\psi(x)\), \(x\in (-\infty,\infty)\) with \(\lim_{x\to \pm \infty}\psi(x)=0\). Here, the Hamiltonian of the system is given by \(H=-d^ 2/dx^ 2+V(x)\) with \(V(x)=\sum^{2M}_{i=1}v_ ix^ i\). The infinite interval \((-\infty,\infty)\) is replaced by a finite one \([-\alpha,\alpha]\) with the boundary condition \(\psi(- \alpha)=\psi(\alpha)=0\). The Rayleigh-Ritz variational method is applied to the new problem where the trigonometric functions are used as basis elements. Two numerical examples, with symmetrical and asymmetrical potential, are given for various values of \(\alpha\) and are compared with results of the infinite interval.