Wick's theorem

proper noun

A method of reducing high-order derivatives to a combinatorics problem, used extensively in quantum field theory to reduce arbitrary products of creation and annihilation operators to sums of products of pairs of these operators.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. quantum mechanicsA method of reducing high-order derivatives to a combinatorics problem, used extensively in quantum field theory to reduce arbitrary products of creation and annihilation operators to sums of products of pairs of these operators.

Origin

Named after Gian-Carlo Wick (1909–1992), Italian theoretical physicist.

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Cite this entry
APA

Wick's theorem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Wick's%20theorem

MLA

“Wick's theorem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Wick's%20theorem. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Wick's theorem,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Wick's%20theorem.

Source: Wick's theorem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.