Mathematics V: Opinion of i

[⛄]

Not of me. Of i.

For those who don't know it:

i =  √-1

Or for the mathematician trolls:

i = e^½πi

[Oakvale]

All in favour of banning excelsus? The is have it.

[Potatoe]

Well, i don't even

[⛄]

All in favour of banning excelsus? The is have it.

Sorry?

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Clearly a necessary part of mathematics involved in a large number of calculations.

The notion of imaginary number is somewhat strange given the problem of ontologically defining the so-called real numbers.

[muon2]

Essential for both the fundamental theorem of algebra and one of the masterpieces of fractal geometry - the Mandelbrot set. Magical numbers as described by Sir Roger Penrose.

[⛄]

i is also important for the principles of electrical engineering.

[muon2]

i is also important for the principles of electrical engineering.

Quite true, it greatly eases calculations involving signal phase and amplitude when they depend on frequency.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

It is a shame that i is called the imaginary unit.  A better name would be the binternion unit now that we know that the complex numbers are the second of the Cayley–Dickson algebras over the real numbers to be discovered.  The first being the real numbers or singulternions, the third being the Hamiltonian numbers or quaternions, and the fourth being the Cayley numbers or octonions.  While the concept can be infinitely extended (each time causing the number of units to double), the sedenions and beyond have as far as I know no known real world applications that have been found for them making them at this point mere mathematical playthings.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU3AlAOCxN0

[angus]

What?

Anyway, no opinion.  Not my favorite.  Not my least favorite. I will say that i figures heavily just now in the course I'm teaching.  I don't ask students to have an opinion about it, though.  

[⛄]

While we're on the subject of complex numbers...

Angus, Ernest, muon, Alfred!

If you know a solution to the equation ζ(z) = 0 whose imaginary part is ≠ 0 and whose real part ≠ ½ , please send it to me via PM.

[muon2]

While we're on the subject of complex numbers...

Angus, Ernest, muon, Alfred!

If you know a solution to the equation ζ(z) = 0 whose imaginary part is ≠ 0 and whose real part ≠ ½ , please send it to me via PM.

And falsify the Riemann hypothesis?

[⛄]

While we're on the subject of complex numbers...

Angus, Ernest, muon, Alfred!

If you know a solution to the equation ζ(z) = 0 whose imaginary part is ≠ 0 and whose real part ≠ ½ , please send it to me via PM.

And falsify the Riemann hypothesis?

I have neeeveerrr heard of it. And I don't know either that you can win $1,000,000 for falsifying that hypothesis. So don't hesitate to send me a possible solution.

Btw, your post has been "goldmined".

[PiMp DaDdy FitzGerald]

My opinion can't be proven, so I don't know.