The biggest question still plaguing Schrödinger’s wave equation was the role of the wavefunction. Sure, mathematically it’s clear: it’s the solution to Schrödinger’s wave equation and the “all-powerful function” as a result. However, physically it was still a big mystery to everyone, including Schrödinger himself.
By 1911, Einstein had already hypothesized that light consists of particles he called light quanta (later called photons). Moreover, he had shown that light has an inherent quality, whereby it exhibits both wave and particle properties. Although, he had seen further than anyone into the mysterious nature of light, it continued to perplex him:
“I do not ask anymore whether these [light] quanta really exist. Nor do I attempt any longer to construct them, since I now know my brain is incapable of advancing in that direction.”
Quantum probability is a natural consequence of Schrödinger’s formulation; Heisenberg’s includes it explicitly.
“If all this damned quantum jumping were really here to stay, I should be sorry I ever got involved with quantum theory.” –Schrödinger
After 1925, Einstein turned his back forever on quantum mechanics, arguing that its probabilistic nature was a fundamental flaw.
If in 1917 Einstein truly saw the probabilistic nature as a shortcoming, later he would be less forgiving.
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© 2024 Scott D. Bembenek
