Hamiltonian formalism for integer-valued variables and integer time steps and a possible application in quantum physics
Most classical mechanical systems are based on dynamical variables whose values are real numbers. Energy conservation is then guaranteed if the dynamical equations are phrased in terms of a Hamiltonian function, which then leads to differential equations in the time variable. If these real dynamical variables are instead replaced by integers, and also the time variable is restricted to integers, it appears to be hard to enforce energy conservation unless one can also derive a Hamiltonian formalism for that case. We here show how the Hamiltonian formalism works here, and how it may yield the usual Hamilton equations in the continuum limit. The question was motivated by the author's investigations of special quantum systems that allow for a deterministic interpretation. The 'discrete Hamiltonian formalism' appears to shed new light on these approaches.