wave function

American  

noun

Physics.

1. a solution of a wave equation.

2. (in quantum mechanics) a mathematical function, found by solving a quantum-mechanical wave equation, that is used to predict the outcome of measurements on physical systems.

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wave function British  

noun

1.  ψ.  physics a mathematical function of position and generally time, used in wave mechanics to describe the state of a physical system

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wave function Scientific  

1. A mathematical function used in quantum mechanics to describe the propagation of the wave associated with a particle or group of particles. The wave function is a solution to Schrödinger's equation, given the boundary conditions that describe the physical system in which the particle is found. The square of the function evaluated at a given point in space is proportional to the probability of finding the particle in the immediate vicinity of that position.

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Example Sentences

A standard wave equation describes how a "wave function" changes over time and across space.

From Science Daily • Mar. 10, 2026

Johannes’ overseer is no fan of “metaphysical rubbish,” which is where the young man’s energies are directed, particularly toward the universal wave function that suggests the existence of multiple realities.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2024

Maybe in the better branch of the wave function I’m heading to there won’t be so many haters.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2024

Meanwhile, the photon's mysterious "wave function," or the sum of all its possible states, travels down both corridors simultaneously.

From Science Daily • Dec. 12, 2023

Standard quantum theory, with its complex numbers, has a convenient rule that makes it easy to represent the wave function of a quantum system composed of many independent parts—a feature that these other versions lack.

From Scientific American • Apr. 24, 2023