Schrodinger Was Right!

TL;DR

This work argues that Schrödinger’s wavefunction program is not incomplete but requires a nonlinear extension in the form of a wavefunction energy term $WFE$. By incorporating $WFE$, the author claims to resolve the Measurement and Randomness Problems, explain macroscopic classicality, and remove the need for fundamental particles or quantum jumps. The approach leverages chaos theory and relativistic-consistent nonlinear dynamics to produce deterministic yet effectively stochastic outcomes, aligning microscopic wave phenomena with macroscopic reality. If validated, this framework would unify quantum behavior with classical emergence under a single, wavefunction-centric formalism, potentially reshaping foundational interpretations and practical modeling of quantum systems.

Abstract

Now that we have reached the centennial of Erwin Schrodinger's seminal paper introducing the wavefunction theory of matter, it is right and proper to inquire as to its legacy. It is undeniable that today every paper in atomic physics cites his 1926 equation in the first paragraph. But the philosophy undergirding the wavefunction seems to have fallen into the shadows. And Schrodinger left his program incomplete. I will argue here that recent developments in nonlinear mathematics, including so-called "chaos theory", permit finishing the task. It turns out that one nonlinear addition to his equation from 1926 can resolve both the Measurement Problem and the Randomness Problem. With this emendation, the wavefunction alone suffices to explain the outcomes of many experiments (and it is particles that can be relegated to the shadows).