ERWIN SCHRÖDINGER

Erwin Schrödinger was an Austrian physicist and mathematician, born in Vienna on August 12, 1887. He is best known for his contributions to the development of quantum mechanics, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933.

Schrödinger attended the University of Vienna, where he studied under famous physicists such as Franz S. Exner and Fritz Hasenöhrl. He later worked at several universities, including the University of Berlin and the University of Zurich, where he held the position of professor of theoretical physics.

In 1926, Schrödinger published a landmark paper that introduced the Schrödinger equation, which describes the time evolution of a quantum mechanical system. This equation played a crucial role in the development of quantum mechanics and helped to establish it as a fundamental theory of physics.

Schrödinger also made important contributions to the field of statistical mechanics, developing what is now known as the Schrödinger equation for Brownian motion. He also worked on the interpretation of quantum mechanics, proposing the famous thought experiment known as "Schrödinger's cat."

Schrödinger was married twice and had several children. His first wife was Annemarie Bertel, with whom he had two daughters. After their divorce, he married his second wife, Anny Hirschfeld-Wartegg, with whom he had a son.

During World War II, Schrödinger moved to Dublin, Ireland, where he held the position of director of the School of Theoretical Physics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. He remained in Ireland until his death on January 4, 1961, at the age of 73.

In addition to his scientific work, Schrödinger was also interested in philosophy and wrote extensively on the subject. He was a member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Royal Irish Academy, and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

Erwin Schrödinger was born into a family of intellectuals and artists. His father, Rudolf Schrödinger, was a botanist, while his mother, Georgine Emilia Brenda Schrödinger, was a daughter of Alexander Bauer, a famous Viennese painter. Schrödinger had two older sisters, and his family was financially comfortable.

After completing his studies at the University of Vienna, Schrödinger spent several years working as an assistant to various physicists, including Max Planck and Arnold Sommerfeld. In 1920, he was appointed as a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Jena, but he left Germany in 1921 due to political unrest.

Schrödinger's work on quantum mechanics was groundbreaking, and his equation is still widely used today in many areas of physics. However, Schrödinger himself was skeptical of some aspects of quantum mechanics, particularly the concept of wave-particle duality, which he referred to as "an absurdity."

During his time in Dublin, Schrödinger continued to work on physics and wrote several important papers, including one on the mathematical basis of wave mechanics. He also had an interest in biology and wrote a book called "What is Life?" which explored the connections between physics and biology.

Schrödinger's personal life was marked by several tragedies. His first daughter, Lieselotte, died of tuberculosis at the age of six, and his second daughter, Hilde, suffered from schizophrenia and spent much of her adult life in mental institutions. Schrödinger himself suffered from tuberculosis and was frequently hospitalized throughout his life.

Despite his illness and personal challenges, Schrödinger remained dedicated to his work and continued to make important contributions to physics until his death. He was widely recognized as one of the most important physicists of the 20th century, and his legacy continues to inspire new generations of scientists.