A Jewish-German astronomer and mathematical prodigy who serves in the German military during WWI, known for his obsession with astronomical research and the concept of singularities in collapsing stars.

A brilliant Japanese mathematician known for his extreme shyness and reclusive nature, who publishes a controversial mathematical proof and is influenced by the work of Alexander Grothendieck.

An eccentric French mathematician with a tumultuous upbringing who becomes deeply concerned with the implications of his scientific work and becomes increasingly secretive and reclusive.

An Austrian physicist distinguished by his acute hearing, struggles with tuberculosis, and pursuit of many romantic affairs, whose fascination with Hindu philosophy influences his work.

A German theoretical physicist associated with the uncertainty principle, who is isolated and strange, and experiences vivid hallucinations that inform his scientific thinking.

A French theoretical physicist and former child genius from a royal family, known for his insight into the dual nature of matter and light as both particles and waves.

A minor character who is a Jewish-German theoretical physicist, famously supportive of de Broglie’s theories and known for seeking a unifying principle in quantum mechanics.

The young daughter of a sanatorium director, characterized by her ethereal beauty and quasi-mystical abilities, who becomes the object of Schrödinger's desires.

A Danish theoretical physicist who acts as a mentor and collaborator to Heisenberg, supporting Heisenberg’s theories at the Fifth Solvay Conference despite knowing their unusual inspirations.

The narrator is a middle-aged man living in a small village in Chile, sentimental about nature. The night gardener, a former mathematician, shares his passion for the slow-growing local plant life.