How did quantum mechanics develop over time?

Quantum science began in 1900 to address problems like blackbody radiation and the oscillator. The older quantum theory era was followed by modern wave mechanics around 1925, which led into quantum field theories and quantum chemistry. Physicists such as Max Born, Werner Heisenberg, and Wolfgang Pauli coined the term 'quantum mechanics' in the early 1920s.

What we know

• The initiation of quantum science occurred in 1900, originating from the mid-19th-century oscillator problem. [2]
• The modern era of quantum mechanics began around 1925, triggered by the invention of wave mechanics by Erwin Schrödinger and subsequent expansions. [4]
• The phrase 'quantum mechanics' was coined in German by Max Born, Werner Heisenberg, and Wolfgang Pauli at the University of Göttingen. [4]
• John von Neumann published the book Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics in 1932 to formalize the field using Hilbert spaces and linear operators. [5]

Where to go next

• the bigger pictureWhat was the older quantum theory?
• whoWho was John von Neumann?
• what followedHow does quantum electrodynamics work?
• how it workedWhat role do Hilbert spaces play in physics?
• compared withHow did atomic and subatomic physics evolve?
• an unexpected connectionWhy did John von Neumann stop publishing in German?Von Neumann's 1932 book on the mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics was his last to be published in German before he transitioned to publishing exclusively in English.

Sources

• [1]timeline of quantum mechanics (Wikidata Q7806180) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Timeline of quantum mechanics · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Timeline of atomic and subatomic physics · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]History of quantum mechanics · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics · CC BY-SA 4.0