Theory
Quantum mechanics
The physical theory that describes nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles.
Updated Nov 3, 2026 · 1 min read · 4 connections
- Origins
- Max Planck, 1900
- Formulated
- 1925–1927
- Key figures
- Heisenberg, Schrödinger, Born
Formulation
Werner Heisenberg’s matrix mechanics of 1925 and Erwin Schrödinger’s wave equation of 1926 gave equivalent descriptions of quantum systems. Max Born proposed that the wave function gives the probability of measurement outcomes, making probability theory fundamental to physics.
Interpretation
What a measurement is, and what the wave function represents, remain disputed questions with roots in epistemology. Quantum ideas also extend statistical mechanics and information theory.