matrix mechanics

American  

noun

Physics.

1. a formulation of non-relativistic quantum mechanics in which physical quantities are represented by matrices and matrix algebra is used to predict the outcome of physical measurements.

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Example Sentences

One was "matrix mechanics," developed by Werner Heisenberg and later expanded by Max Born, Paul Dirac, and others.

From Science Daily • Mar. 10, 2026

As befits the concept of complementarity, there are two completely different but ultimately equivalent mathematical formulations of quantum phenomena — Erwin Schrodinger’s wave equation and Werner Heisenberg’s matrix mechanics, the latter highlighting particle-like behavior.

From Washington Post • Mar. 30, 2018

He sighed, “A bit behind the times, that’s the trouble with him. He clings to matrix mechanics as the all in all, and this problem calls for more powerful mathematical tools. He’s so stubborn.”

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

At almost the same time the German physicist Werner Heisenberg came up with a competing theory called matrix mechanics.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson