wave equation

American  

noun

1. Mathematics, Physics. any differential equation that describes the propagation of waves or other disturbances in a medium.

2. Physics. any of the fundamental equations of quantum mechanics whose solutions are possible wave functions of a particle.

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wave equation British  

noun

1. physics a partial differential equation describing wave motion. It has the form ∇²φ = (1/ c ²) × (∂²φ/∂ t ²), where ∇² is the Laplace operator, t the time, c the speed of propagation, and φ is a function characterizing the displacement of the wave

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wave equation Scientific  

1. A partial differential equation that describes the shape and movement of waves, given a set of boundary conditions (such as the initial shape of the wave, or the evolution of a force affecting the wave).

2. The fundamental equation of wave mechanics.

3. See also Schrödinger's equation

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Etymology

Origin of wave equation

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

By assuming that the speed of a wave can vary with time, the researchers were able to write down what they call an accelerating wave equation.

From Science Daily

Quantum theory describes fundamental particles not just as physical waves but also as being determined by the so-called wave equation, whose solutions may be designated by the Greek letter psi, ψ.

From Scientific American

The solution to the Schrödinger wave equation is no exception.

From Salon

The mathematics describing these waves is the Schrodinger “wave equation,” also called the “wave function,” and to this day, no one can agree on what it means.

From Washington Post

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