Posted on 12/21/2021 8:16:07 PM PST by algore
Imaginary numbers are necessary to accurately describe reality, two new studies have suggested.
Imaginary numbers are what you get when you take the square root of a negative number, and they have long been used in the most important equations of quantum mechanics, the branch of physics that describes the world of the very small.
When you add imaginary numbers and real numbers, the two form complex numbers, which enable physicists to write out quantum equations in simple terms. But whether quantum theory needs these mathematical chimeras or just uses them as convenient shortcuts has long been controversial.
In fact, even the founders of quantum mechanics themselves thought that the implications of having complex numbers in their equations was disquieting.
In a letter to his friend Hendrik Lorentz, physicist Erwin Schrödinger — the first person to introduce complex numbers into quantum theory, with his quantum wave function (ψ) — wrote, "What is unpleasant here, and indeed directly to be objected to, is the use of complex numbers. Ψ is surely fundamentally a real function."
Schrödinger did find ways to express his equation with only real numbers alongside an additional set of rules for how to use the equation, and later physicists have done the same with other parts of quantum theory.
But in the absence of hard experimental evidence to rule upon the predictions of these "all real" equations, a question has lingered: Are imaginary numbers an optional simplification, or does trying to work without them rob quantum theory of its ability to describe reality?
Now, two studies, published Dec. 15 in the journals Nature and Physical Review Letters, have proved Schrödinger wrong. By a relatively simple experiment, they show that if quantum mechanics is correct, imaginary numbers are a necessary part of the mathematics of our universe.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
We have an imaginary President, why not imaginary numbers.
Sounds like string hypothesis again. “We need imaginary numbers to describe our undetectable world”.
Imaginary numbers are quite real, I first learned about them in jr high algebra
So reality is imaginary.
As we always subjected, we all all actors on the stage …of someone’s dream.
Uh-huh.
EE 310 always gave me the willies.
So the cat in the box is dead?
Electrical engineers use imaginary numbers in circuit descriptions. They use the symbol “j” instead of “i”, which is the choice of mathematicians. I believe the imaginary numbers come about from Fourier Transforms describing response from sinusoidal inputs.
They are quite prevalent in electrodynamic theories and practice.
[[Imaginary numbers are necessary to accurately describe reality, ]]
Yep- like the imaginary numbers of people who have died WITH covid according to the scammers pushing ht covid lie-
Did you learn that they’re racist?
Here’s what I wonder:
Since imaginary numbers are mathematically rigorous and the universe operates as if they do exist, what would be the philosophical corollary? Sumthin like operating as if Occham’s Razor is invalid if two opposing Razor elements are operating in tandem?
Oh, I know about imaginary numbers. I just haven’t needed to use them very much.
On the other hand, President 46i …
A general solution to the cubic equation was long considered impossible, until we gave up the requirement that math reflect reality... Thanks to Dr Amir Alexander, Dr Alexander Kontorovich, Dr Chris Ferrie, and Dr Adam Becker for the helpful advice and feedback on the earlier versions of the script.How Imaginary Numbers Were Invented | November 1, 2021 | Veritasium
Ha.....I’d say he’s not imaginary but rather his votes/voters were. He does, however, imagine himself as a valid President, though... :0)
This is REALLY the lonliest number.
If you have total internal reflection from a beam of light inside a glass block , if you bring another glass block next to the first the imaginary equation actually predicts the weird way light crosses the gap as you bring the glass blocks closer to each other.
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