nLab evolution equation

Idea

An evolution equation is an equation of the form

$$\partial_t f = L f$$

where $\partial_t$ represents the partial derivative with respect to time, $L$ is a differential operator and $f$ is usually assumed to be an element of some topological vector space. Examples are the Schrödinger equation and the Fokker-Planck equation. These equations describe the time evolution of a physical system, hence the name.