What the work claims
The 1926 work claimed that atomic spectra arise from eigenvalues of a wave equation. The 1935 work claimed that entanglement is an essential, irreducible feature of quantum description — not a flaw, but its defining trait.
How it was done
Schrödinger developed wave mechanics and presented the Schrödinger equation in a 1926 paper in Annalen der Physik. He built on de Broglie’s idea of matter waves. He derived a wave equation for time-independent systems and applied it to the hydrogen-like atom. In 1935, he published a paper codifying quantum entanglement, building on the EPR paradox.
What holds up
The Schrödinger equation correctly predicted energy eigenvalues for hydrogen-like atoms. The term ‘quantum entanglement’ was coined by Schrödinger in 1935. His 1935 paper codified entanglement as a distinct concept arising from the EPR paradox.
What does not
The 1926 paper did not establish a complete interpretation of quantum mechanics. It did not resolve the measurement problem. It did not unify quantum theory with relativity. The 1935 paper did not experimentally verify entanglement. It did not propose a testable mechanism for action-at-a-distance.
Why it matters beyond the lab
It matters because every modern quantum technology — from MRI to semiconductor design to quantum computing prototypes — relies on solutions to the Schrödinger equation. Entanglement is now a resource, not just a paradox.
Is it worth your time
Yes — because the Schrödinger equation remains the operational core of non-relativistic quantum mechanics, and his 1935 entanglement work defined the conceptual language still used today.