| 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. |
| wave function n. A mathematical function used in quantum mechanics to describe the propagation of the wave associated with any particle or group of particles. |
| wave function
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 absolute value 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. |