Quantum mechanics
Max PlanckNiels BohrWerner HeisenbergErwin SchrödingerPaul DiracMax Born
This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method
For everyone
In the atomic and subatomic world, energy is exchanged in packets (quanta) and the results of measurements can be predicted only as probabilities. The theory underlies modern technology from semiconductors to lasers. Physicists still hold different interpretations of what measurement and the "wave function" really mean.
For specialists
Planck (1900) explained black-body radiation with the assumption E = hν. Heisenberg's matrix mechanics (1925) and Schrödinger's wave mechanics (1926) proved equivalent. The Born rule interprets |ψ|² as a probability density. The Copenhagen, many-worlds (Everett), de Broglie–Bohm pilot-wave and objective-collapse (GRW) interpretations share most experimental predictions. Violation of Bell inequalities rules out local hidden-variable theories; loophole-free tests were carried out in 2015.
Claims
Evidence
Supporting
A loophole-free Bell test with electron spins separated by 1.3 km showed a violation of the bound predicted by local realism.[3]
The 1982 experiment of Aspect and colleagues showed a violation of Bell's inequality with settings switched while the photons were in flight.[2]
Challenging
—
Positions
- Copenhagen interpretation
- The wave function represents our knowledge of measurement outcomes; measurement is a process involving a classical apparatus with probabilistic results.[6]
- Many-worlds interpretation (Everett)
- The wave function never collapses; at each measurement the universe branches into versions in which each possible outcome occurs.[4]
- Pilot-wave interpretation (de Broglie–Bohm)
- Particles always have definite positions, guided by a non-local wave.[5]
Open questions
- The measurement problem, that is, why the wave function yields a single outcome, is disputed among interpretations.
Connections
Sources
- Article (1964). On the Einstein Podolsky Rosen paradox. Physics Physique Fizika 1(3), 195–200DOI 10.1103/PhysicsPhysiqueFizika.1.195archive
- Article (1982). Experimental test of Bell's inequalities using time-varying analyzers. Physical Review Letters 49, 1804–1807DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.49.1804archive
- Article (2015). Loophole-free Bell inequality violation using electron spins separated by 1.3 kilometres. Nature 526, 682–686DOI 10.1038/nature15759archive
- Article (1957). "Relative state" formulation of quantum mechanics. Reviews of Modern Physics 29, 454–462DOI 10.1103/RevModPhys.29.454archive
- Article (1952). A suggested interpretation of the quantum theory in terms of "hidden" variables. I. Physical Review 85, 166–179DOI 10.1103/PhysRev.85.166archive
- EncyclopediaCopenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophyplato.stanford.eduarchive
- Article (1901). Ueber das Gesetz der Energieverteilung im Normalspectrum. Annalen der Physik 309(3), 553–563DOI 10.1002/andp.19013090310archive
- Article (1926). Quantisierung als Eigenwertproblem. Annalen der Physik 384(4), 361–376DOI 10.1002/andp.19263840404archive
Search the literature
Look for scholarly work on this topic in other indexes:
Cite this page
Athena contributors. (2026). Quantum mechanics. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/kuantum-mekanigi/
@misc{athena_kuantum_mekanigi,
title = {Quantum mechanics},
author = {{Athena contributors}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/kuantum-mekanigi/}},
note = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 27, 2026 · Page history