A
wave function in
quantum mechanics describes the
quantum state of an
isolated system of one or more particles. There is
one wave function containing all the information about the entire system, not a separate wave function for each particle in the system. Its interpretation is that of a
probability amplitude. Quantities associated with measurements, such as the average
momentum of a particle, can be derived from the wave function. It is a central entity in quantum mechanics and is important in all modern theories, like
quantum field theory incorporating quantum mechanics, while its interpretation may differ. The most common symbols for a wave function are the Greek letters or (lower-case and capital
psi).