CONTINUUM VERSION OF PHI(4)(1-FRONT QUANTIZATION(1) THEORY IN LIGHT)

A genuine continuum treatment of the massive phi(1+1)(4) theory in lig ht-cone quantization is proposed. Fields are treated as operator-value d distributions, thereby leading to a mathematically well-defined hand ling of ultraviolet-and light-cone-induced infrared divergences and of their renormalization. Although nonperturbative, the continuum light- cone approach is no more complex than usual perturbation theory in low est order. Relative to discretized light-cone quantization, the critic al coupling increases by 30% to a value r=1.5. Conventional perturbati on theory at the corresponding order yields r(1) = 1, whereas the RG-i mproved fourth-order result is r(4) = 1.8 +/- 0.05.