Unified Action-Integral Formulation of Quantum Mechanics: From Dual Operators to Emergent Quantization

02 February 2026, Version 1
This content is an early or alternative research output and has not been peer-reviewed by Cambridge University Press at the time of posting.

Abstract

This paper proposes and systematically constructs a novel formulation of quantum mechanics based on complete sets of dual variables and integral operators. Its core postulate elevates the operators of time,spatial position, and phase angle to an equal footing with those of energy, momentum, and action, forming three fundamental dual pairs. Building on this, we define the integral operators ˆT and ˆX for time and space, and derive as a first principle the Quantum Action Balance Equation (QABE)—an integral equation with the action phase eiScl/ℏ as its kernel. We rigorously demonstrate that the Schr¨odinger equation, Dirac equation, and Heisenberg equation naturally emerge as specific limits or corollaries of the QABE under local approximations or expectation value evolution. Furthermore, the Feynman path integral emerges as the direct iterative solution form of this integral equation. We clarify that the quantization of action, phase, and spacetime is not an additional hypothesis but an inevitable mathematical consequence of solving this continuous dynamical framework under inherent algebraic constraints (such as phase compactness) or external physical boundary conditions (such as spacetime periodicity), achieving a conceptual unification for the origin of quantization. Importantly, the inherent non-locality of this integral formulation provides an intrinsic mechanism to circumvent ultraviolet divergences in quantum field theory. This work aims to provide a deeper unified foundation for the different formulations of quantum mechanics and to open new conceptual pathways for bridging quantum theory and gravity

Keywords

Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
Dual Variables
Integral Operators
Quantum Action Balance Equation
Path Integral
Emergent Quantization
Non-local Field Theory

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