most recent 30 from http://mathoverflow.net 2013-05-26T03:32:05Z http://mathoverflow.net/feeds/user/9012 http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/rdf http://mathoverflow.net/questions/30156/demystifying-complex-numbers/37719#37719 profilesgezinorgiva 2010-09-04T13:31:12Z 2010-09-04T13:31:12Z

<p>"Why do we need to study numbers which do not belong to the real world?"</p> <p>Having been through the relevant mathematical mill, I subsequently engaged with Geometric Algebra (a Clifford Algebra interpreted strictly geometrically).</p> <p>Once I understood that the square of a unit bivector is -1 and then how rotors worked, all my (conceptual) difficulties evaporated.</p> <p>I have never had a reason to use (pure) complex numbers since and I suspect that most engineering/physics/computing types would avoid them if they were able.</p> <p>Likely you have the above group mixed together with pure mathematicians that feel quite at home with the non-physical aspects of complex numbers and wouldn't dream of asking such an impertinent question:-)</p>