On the nonperturbative calculation of wave functions in quantum field theories

The understanding of hadronic physics would benefit greatly from a method to compute hadronic wave functions nonperturbatively in quantum chromodynamics. Work on the development of such a method, in the context of quantum electrodynamics, will be discussed. The method is based on a light-front Hamiltonian approach and Fock-state expansions for eigenstates of the Hamiltonian. Wave functions enter explicitly in this expansion and can be used to calculate properties of the eigenstate. The construction and solution of bound-state eigenvalue problems will be outlined.