Nodal Portraits of Quantum Billiards

The 200-year old studies by Chladni, of the sand figures of vibrating plates, live on today in the investigation of the wave mechanics of regular and chaotic systems. This talk will present a survey of the contemporary mathematical analysis of the wave-function statistics of the billiard problem, uncovering the manifestations of classical chaos in the wave-mechanical world. The extensive experiments of recent years are also surveyed. The illustrations show the continuing Chladnian splendor of the current-day subject.