Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics

providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and
interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and
subatomic scales, the so-called quantum realm. In advanced topics of quantum mechanics, some of
these behaviors are macroscopic and only emerge at very low or very high energies or temperatures.
The name, coined by Max Planck, derives from the observation that some physical quantities can be
changed only by discrete amounts, or quanta, as multiples of the Planck constant, rather than being
capable of varying continuously or by any arbitrary amount

The mathematical formulations of quantum mechanics are abstract. Similarly, the implications are
often non-intuitive in terms of classic physics. The centerpiece of the mathematical system is the
wavefunction. The wavefunction is a mathematical function providing information about the
probability amplitude of position and momentum of a particle. Mathematical manipulations of the
wavefunction usually involve the bra-ket notation, which requires an understanding of complex
numbers and linear functionals.

Quantum mechanics is a body of scientific principles describing the behavior of matter and its
interactions on the atomic and subatomic scales.
Just before 1900, it became clear that classical physics was unable to explain certain phenomena.
Coming to terms with these limitations of classical physics led to the development of quantum
mechanics in the early decades of the 20th century, a major revolution in physical theory. Much of
the universe on the largest scale does not neatly conform to classical physics, because of general
relativity. Similarly, quantum mechanics means that the universe in the small also does not neatly
conform to classical mechanics. The principles of quantum mechanics are difficult for the human
mind to understand, because humans are accustomed to reasoning about the world on a scale where
classical physics is an excellent approximation. Quantum mechanics is counterintuitive; in the
words of Richard Feynman, it deals with "Nature as She is—absurd."[1]