We show that it is possible to formulate the canonical Hamiltonian formalism for the relativistic particle, in a covariant fashion and without some well-known problems, when we introduce the concept of a reference system to establish the notions of time and space. Starting from the observer-dependent Hamiltonian formalism, we obtain the result that the wave function describing the quantum behavior of the particle must be observer dependent and we give the corresponding wave equation.

• Received 25 August 1986

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.35.540