Bounds for Hamiltonians with arbitrary kinetic parts

A method is presented to compute approximate solutions for eigenequations in quantum mechanics with an arbitrary kinetic part. In some cases, the approximate eigenvalues can be analytically determined and they can be lower or upper bounds. A semiclassical interpretation of the generic formula obtained for the eigenvalues supports a new definition of the effective particle mass used in solid state physics. An analytical toy model with a Gaussian dependence in the momentum is studied in order to check the validity of the method.