wavefunction
noun/ˈweɪv.fʌŋ(k).ʃən/
Etymology From wave + function.
1
Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics A mathematical function that describes the propagation of the quantum mechanical wave associated with a particle (or system of particles), related to the probability of finding the particle in a particular region of space.
- The interpretation of the wavefunction was one of the thorny issues facing the early pioneers of quantum theory.2011, Brian Cox, Jeff Forshaw, The Quantum World, Allen Lane, published 2011, page 41:
- Derived terms
- wavefunction collapse
- Related terms
- Hilbert space, orbital, quantum mechanics
- Hypernyms
- function
- Hyponyms
- adjoint wave function, adjoint wavefunction, antisymmetric wave function, antisymmetric wavefunction, antisymmetrized wave function, antisymmetrized wavefunction, Dirac wave function, Dirac wavefunction, electron wave function, electron wavefunction, hybrid wave function, hybrid wavefunction, Lamé wave function, Lamé wavefunction, momentum wave function, momentum wavefunction, Schrödinger wave function, Schrödinger wavefunction