What makes the equations of quantum mechanics difficult to solve? - by Kip Ingram - Quora Question Review

This document contains a review of the answer by Kip Ingram on the question in Quora: "What makes the equations of quantum mechanics difficult to solve?"
To order to read all the answers select: https://www.quora.com/What-makes-the-equations-of-quantum-mechanics-difficult-to-solve

Contents

Reflection

1. Answer Review

Generally just complexity.
You are explaining something with something that is not clear.
This isn’t unique to quantum mechanics.
Is this also true for General Relativity? That is a bad sign.
Consider a satellite orbiting earth, with no other factors considered. If you model Earth as perfectly spherical and of uniform density, then this is an easy problem to solve - it’s called the two-body problem.
It can only be solved if both objects are considered a point particle, which is physical not feasible, implying even this problem can not be solved.
But if you take the true shape of Earth into account, or if you add the moon and the Sun and Jupiter, it becomes a much more difficult problem to solve.
In fact, the “general three body problem” (where you try to calculate the motion of three similarly massive bodies under their mutual gravitation), is impossible to solve in closed form.
Implying in general that all problems studied with general relativity, are impossible to solve.
There are solvable problems in quantum theory - the particle in a box problem is an example. But usually real situations in the real world don’t model out as one of these simple problems - you wind up with more complicated equations that you can’t solve in closed form.
This is a tough lesson for all scientists.
Stay safe and well!

3.

Reflection 1 - Question Review

The question: "What makes the equations of quantum mechanics difficult to solve" is rather tricky. The issue is first of all to describe a (quantum mechanical) problem accurate in equations. That means you need very accurate observations.
For a list of the equations see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equations_in_quantum_mechanics You will be flabergasted.
If you cann't make these observations......

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Created: 1 June 2023

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