Introduction to quantum mechanics. This article is a non-technical introduction to the subject.
For the main encyclopedia article, see Quantum mechanics. In this sense, the word quantum means the minimum amount of any physical entity involved in an interaction. Adiabatic theorem. The adiabatic theorem is a concept in quantum mechanics. Its original form, due to Max Born and Vladimir Fock (1928), was stated as follows: In simpler terms, a quantum mechanical system subjected to gradually changing external conditions adapts its functional form, but when subjected to rapidly varying conditions there is insufficient time for the functional form to adapt and the probability density remains unchanged. Diabatic vs. adiabatic processes[edit] Diabatic process: Rapidly changing conditions prevent the system from adapting its configuration during the process, hence the probability density remains unchanged. Copenhagen interpretation. The Copenhagen interpretation is one of the earliest and most commonly taught interpretations of quantum mechanics.[1] It holds that quantum mechanics does not yield a description of an objective reality but deals only with probabilities of observing, or measuring, various aspects of energy quanta, entities that fit neither the classical idea of particles nor the classical idea of waves.
The act of measurement causes the set of probabilities to immediately and randomly assume only one of the possible values. This feature of mathematics is known as wavefunction collapse.