Schrödinger << SHRAY dihng uhr >>, Erwin (1887-1961), an Austrian theoretical physicist, developed a mathematical equation describing the wavelike behavior of atomic particles. Schrödinger shared the 1933 Nobel Prize in physics with the British physicist Paul Dirac for their contributions to atomic theory.
Schrödinger developed the equation, now known as the “Schrödinger equation,” in 1925 and introduced it in 1926. He based it on the ideas of Louis V. de Broglie, a French physicist, who in 1924 had proposed a theory that electrons behave like waves. The Schrödinger equation became a basic part of a field of physics called quantum mechanics (see Quantum mechanics).
Schrödinger later worked to expand Albert Einstein‘s theory of gravitation to include electrical and magnetic phenomena. He was also interested in the relationship between science and philosophy. His book What Is Life? and Other Scientific Essays (1956) details his concerns.
Schrödinger was born on Aug. 12, 1887, in Vienna. He served as a professor of theoretical physics in several universities in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. He also was associated with the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. He died on Jan. 4, 1961.
