Why did Schrodinger call his equation eigenvalue problem?

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SUMMARY

Schrödinger's equation is classified as an eigenvalue problem due to its formulation as a separable partial differential equation (PDE) that generates ordinary differential equations (ODEs) resembling Sturm-Liouville equations. The equation can be expressed in the form \mathcal{L}u = \lambda u, where \mathcal{L} is a linear differential operator, u is the function, and \lambda represents the eigenvalue. This classification highlights the distinction between finite eigenvalue spectra in linear algebra and the generally infinite spectra in Sturm-Liouville theory. Additionally, the equation can be simplified to H(\psi) = E(\psi), where H denotes the Hamiltonian and E signifies the energy eigenvalue.

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Why did Schrödinger call his equation eigenvalue problem?
We can solve Schrödinger equation since it's just differential equation with complex number
 
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The Schrödinger equation is a separable PDE, and in separating the PDE you generate ODEs which are of the form of Sturm-Liouville differential Equations:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturm-Liouville_theory

Basically what the separated equations look like is

\mathcal{L}u = \lambda u

where \mathcal{L} is a linear differential operator acting on the function u and \lambda is the eigenvalue, which is the separation constant introduced from separating the PDE. This is just a generalization, if you like, of the case in linear algebra, where the operator would be a matrix and u would be a vector. One difference between the two cases is that in linear algebra the eigenvalue spectrum is finite, whereas in the Sturm-Liouville theory it is generally infinite.
 
eigen value problem

Dear friend i don't know much of physics,but to me,its called eigen value equation bcoz we can write it in simple form as
H(psi) = E(psi)
H being hamiltonian or total energy of system,and E being energy eigen value.
 

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