Physical theories in Galilean space-time and the origin of Schrodinger-like equations

A method to develop physical theories of free particles in space-time with the Galilean metric is presented. The method is based on a Principle of Analyticity and a Principle of Relativity, and uses the Galilei group of the metric. The first principle requires that state functions describing the particles are analytic and the second principle demands that dynamical equations for these functions are Galilean invariant. It is shown that the method can be used to formally derive Schrodinger-like equations and to determine modifications of the Galilei group of the metric that are necessary to fullfil the requirements of analyticity and Galilean invariance. The obtained results shed a new light on the origin of Schrodinger's equation of non-relativistic quantum mechanics. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.