Questions tagged [quaternions]

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Is there a quaternionic analogue of Weyl's character formula?

I am pondering about this. The definition of a character makes sense for quaternionic matrices. Indeed, given a quaternionic representation of a quaternionic matrix group such as $GL(n, \mathbb{H})$ ...
Malkoun's user avatar
  • 4,981
4 votes
2 answers
306 views

Lifting of map from $S^3$ to itself

My question concerns the lifting of degree $0$ map from $S^3$ to itself. Let us suppose that all maps are smooth here. Looking at $S^3$ as the space of unit quaternions, one way to define degree is ...
Paul's user avatar
  • 914
2 votes
0 answers
43 views

Geometric explanation of Fueter-Sce-Qian Theorem and similar situations

In Clifford analysis there is a fundamental theorem due to Fueter and extended by Sce and Qian that says (in modern terminology) that the given a slice regular function $f:\mathbb{R}^{m+1}\to\mathbb{R}...
Giulio Binosi's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
30 views

Eigendecomposition of hyper-complex multiplication

There is an isomorphism between quaternions and $4\times 4$ matrices: $$ \phi: a+bi+cj+dk \longmapsto \begin{pmatrix} a&b&c&d \\ -b&a&-d&c\\ -c&d&a&-b\\ -d&-c&...
Oleksandr  Kulkov's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
679 views

Is there a definition of $\log(x)$ for quaternion/octonion $x$?

I'm trying to implement $\log({\bf q})$ in python, where ${\bf q} = (q_0,\ldots,q_7) \in \mathbb{O}$ is an octonion. There is a well known definition of $\log({\bf q})$ for quaternions ${\bf q} = (s,v)...
Dieter Kadelka's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
175 views

Subfields of division rings of degree $2$ which are not invariant

Let $A$ be a noncommutative division ring, and let $B$ be a sub division ring (here, $B$ is allowed to be commutative) of degree $2$. Are there easy examples known for which $B$ is not globally fixed ...
THC's user avatar
  • 4,313
12 votes
0 answers
418 views

Is there a mistake in Zagier's "Hyperbolic manifolds and special values of Dedekind zeta-functions"?

I am having troubles with Don Zagier's "Hyperbolic manifolds and special values of Dedekind zeta-functions", available at this link, and I think there might be a mistake. In particular the ...
BernyPiffaro's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
116 views

Polar decomposition with respect to the nonstandard involution of quaternionic matrices?

The quaternions admit infinitely many involutions. But up to isomorphism, there are only two: The standard one $t+xi+yj+zk\mapsto t-xi-yj-zk$ and the nonstandard one $\phi:t+xi+yj+zk\mapsto t-xi+yj+zk$...
wlad's user avatar
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26 votes
5 answers
3k views

Is it possible to "get" quaternions without specifically postulating them?

I know that quaternions were first invented to handle description of 3D and 4D rotations, just as 2D rotations can be described by complex numbers. On the other hand, non-natural numbers can be "...
P.A.R.T.Y.'s user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
217 views

Abelianization of unit quaternions over a p-adic field

Suppose $p$ is a prime, that $F$ is a finite extension of the field $\mathbb{Q}_p$, $D$ is the division quaternion algebra over $F$ and $\mathcal{O}_D$ is the valuation ring of $D$. What is the ...
Simon Wadsley's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
386 views

Motivating unpublished statements of Gauss about congruences and quaternions

Background Modern claims that Gauss anticipated the quaternions algebra are based primarily on an unpublished fragment of Gauss dated to 1819 and entitled "rotations of space". In this ...
user2554's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
438 views

Heat kernel on quaternion Heisenberg group

For the n Heisenberg($\Bbb C^n\times\Bbb R$) it is known that the heat kernel $q_s(z,t)=c_n\int_{\Bbb R} e^{-i\lambda t}\Big( \frac{\lambda}{\sinh(\lambda s)}\Big)^n e^{-\frac{\lambda|z|^2\coth(\...
user484672's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
631 views

How to prove that a quaternion algebra over ℤₚ is isomorphic to Mat₂(ℤₚ) for p prime?

How to prove without using advanced theorems that quaternions algebra $H = \genfrac(){}{}{-1,-1}{\mathbb{Z}_p}$, where $p$ is prime that $H \cong\operatorname{Mat}_2({\mathbb{Z}_p})$? My ideas: I ...
Joseph Jordan's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
362 views

Is there a residue sum formula in quaternionic analysis?

In complex analysis, there is a formula involving the residues of complex functions that one can employ to find the value of certain infinite series. If the function $f: \mathbb{C} \to \mathbb{C} $ ...
Max Muller's user avatar
  • 4,435
5 votes
1 answer
177 views

Why is $\operatorname{U}(n,\mathbb{H})\subset \operatorname{SL}(n,\mathbb{H}) $?

This question is inspired by Maximal compact subgroup of $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{H})$. Consider the embedding $\operatorname{U}(n,\mathbb{H})\subset \operatorname{GL}(n,\mathbb{H}) $. Since $\...
abx's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
95 views

Maximizing a skew-symmetric 4D cross product

How do I find two orthonormal 4D vectors, $(x_0,x_1,x_2,x_3)$ and $(y_0,y_1,y_2,y_3)$, which maximize this function: $-19x_1y_0 - 33x_2y_0 + 11x_3y_0 + 19x_0y_1 - 21x_2y_1 - 33x_3y_1 + 33x_0y_2 + ...
bobuhito's user avatar
  • 1,537
3 votes
0 answers
91 views

Nonassociative quaternion algebras

I'm interested in nonassociative central simple algebras; I've found Lee and Waterhouse's article 'Maximal Orders in Nonassociative Quaternion Algebras', and this cites a previous article by ...
a196884's user avatar
  • 323
8 votes
1 answer
240 views

Covolumes of unit groups of division algebras

Let $D$ be a central division (or maybe just simple) algebra over $\mathbb{Q}$. Let $\mathcal{O} \subset \mathcal{O}_m$ be an order inside a fixed maximal order and denote by $\mathcal{O}^1$ its group ...
Radu T's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
120 views

Conway's quaternion notation +1/3[C_3×C_3]∙2^(2) represent C_3h of 4d Point group?

In John Conway and Derek Smith's On Quaternions and Octonions: their Geometry, Arithmetic, and Symmetry, they introduce a way to connect quaternions to 4D Point Group. Suppose: $[l,r]:x\to \bar lxr\;,\...
ql2000's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
0 answers
88 views

Sequences generated from commuted quaternions and general commuted linear transformations

Given a pair of non-commuting linear transformations, $A$ and $B$, define the "next pair" in a sequence as $A*B$ and $B*A$. I am interested in finite cycles (i.e., the sequence eventually ...
bobuhito's user avatar
  • 1,537
3 votes
3 answers
654 views

Ramification of quaternion algebras over $\mathbb Q$

I'm reading on the classification of quaternion algebras over $\mathbb{Q}$. In the most common definition, we have a quaternion algebra $Q = \left(\frac{a,b}{\mathbb{Q}} \right)$ splits at a finite ...
Rdrr's user avatar
  • 851
2 votes
0 answers
72 views

Bézout theorem for complex solutions of systems of homogeneous quaternionic polynomials

Suppose that I have a system of $n$ homogeneous polynomials in $n+1$ variables $p_{1},\dots,p_{n}\in\mathbb{H}[x_{0},\dots,x_{n}]$ with coefficients at both sides in $\mathbb{H}.$ I want to know if ...
Hvjurthuk's user avatar
  • 573
15 votes
1 answer
784 views

Why is the automorphism group of the octonions $G_2$ instead of $SO(7)$

I can calculate the derivation of the octonions and I clearly find the 14 generators that form the algebra of $G_2$. However, when I do the same calculation for the quaternions, I end up with the ...
p6majo's user avatar
  • 333
6 votes
4 answers
523 views

Generalizing contour integration to quaternions and bicomplex numbers

I am interested in the possibility of generalizing the notion of contour integration to the quaternions or bicomplex numbers. I am aware that the Frobenius theorem prevents the construction of a true ...
Talmsmen's user avatar
  • 577
3 votes
1 answer
119 views

Charaterisation of quaternion algebras

Let $k$ be a field, and $A$ an associative $k$-algebra with an identity element. Say that $A$ is quadratic if any subalgebra of $A$ generated by a single element has dimension at most two. I am ...
Erik D's user avatar
  • 338
10 votes
1 answer
468 views

Diagonalizing quaternionic unitary matrices

The quaternionic unitary group $\mathrm{U}(n,\mathbb{H})$, also called the compact symplectic group $\mathrm{Sp}(n)$, consists of $n \times n$ quaternionic matrices $g$ such that $gg^\ast = 1$, where $...
John Baez's user avatar
  • 21.3k
3 votes
1 answer
346 views

Quaternions as eigenvalues of rank 3 tensors

Let us consider a matrix $M^{(a)}$ of size $N \times N$, having $N$ eigenvalues $\lambda_i \in \mathbb{C}$. Considering a rank-3 tensor, we can informally think of it as a sequence of $N$ matrices $M^{...
Matt's user avatar
  • 97
3 votes
1 answer
379 views

Norm of maximal order in quaternion algebra

Let $B$ be a quaternion algebra over $\mathbb{Q}$ that is a division algebra over $\mathbb{R}$. The theorem of Hasse-Schilling tells us that the image of the reduced norm of $B^\times$ is $\mathbb{R}^+...
Julien's user avatar
  • 153
2 votes
0 answers
163 views

Two generalizations of the Verblunsky Theorem

I learned from this paper about the Verblunsky theorem. My question is that: What kind of generalizations of this theorem is availlable? In particular I am interested in the following two possible ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
164 views

Sylow 2-subgroups of finite groups in which every subgroup of order 4 is cyclic

Let $G$ be a finite group. Assume that every subgroup of order 4 in $G$ is cyclic (as happens if $G$ is a cyclic group or a generalized quaternion group). It seems to me that it should follow that a ...
quaternion's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
107 views

Control and observability of Clifford algebra and quaternion valued systems?

Good evening everybody, I'm asking you if there is a mathematical theory about control and observability of differential systems within the quaternionic and Clifford (geometric) algebras. And if so, ...
BANOUH HICHAM's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
458 views

Question about the correspondence between unitary Möbius transformations and quaternions

One of the main theorems about the classification of Möbius transformations states that pure rotations of the Riemann sphere (without translation and dilatation) correspond to unitary Möbius ...
user2554's user avatar
  • 1,869
2 votes
1 answer
299 views

3D similarities and quaternions?

As is well-known, in dimension 2, a linear map $f : \mathbb{R}^2 \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^2$ is a direct similarity if, once we identify $\mathbb{R}^2$ with $\mathbb{C}$, $f$ is of the form $$\forall z \...
Goulifet's user avatar
  • 2,174
1 vote
1 answer
259 views

Are there algorithms for deciding or solving conjugacy in integer quaternion rings?

I am doing some research on the quaternions and their role in Non-commutative cryptography. I have found a number of articles, but it is still unclear to me if there is a known solution to the ...
user157838's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
379 views

Conjugacy in the quaternion group

Let $G$ be a non-commutative group, and suppose we are given two elements $x, y \in G$ which are conjugate, i.e. we know there exists some $z \in G$ such that $zxz^{-1} = y$. Can we find $z$ given $x$ ...
Gautam's user avatar
  • 1,693
8 votes
3 answers
616 views

What other lattices are obtainable from this noncommutative ring?

Here I will regard $SU(2)$ as the multiplicative group of unit quaternions. There are just three conjugacy classes of finite subgroups $G < SU(2)$ where $[G:C] > 2$ for all cyclic subgroups $C &...
DavidLHarden's user avatar
  • 3,575
4 votes
2 answers
602 views

Principled construction of the quaternions

Is there a construction of the quaternions that doesn't proceed through generators and relations, and which makes the connection with 3D rotations clear? I'm not happy with Clifford Algebra as an ...
wlad's user avatar
  • 4,792
9 votes
1 answer
783 views

Representing a number as a sum of four squares and factorization

Rabin and Shallit have a randomized polynomial-time algorithm to express an integer $n$ as a sum of four squares $n=a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2$ (in time $\log(n)^2$ assuming the Extended Riemann Hypothesis). I'...
Ian Agol's user avatar
  • 66.6k
6 votes
1 answer
290 views

Idempotent functions on Sp(1)

The quaternion group $Sp(1)\simeq S^3$ can be understood as $(z,w)\in\mathbb {C}^2$ with $|z|^2+|w|^2=1$ where multiplication is defined by $(z,w)(t,s)=(zt-\bar{s}w,zs+\bar{t}w)$. Question: How do ...
BigM's user avatar
  • 1,543
3 votes
1 answer
223 views

How many distinct quaternions have a given prime norm $p$?

I seem to recall that the answer is $p + 1$, but I'm not quite sure.
Gautam's user avatar
  • 1,693
3 votes
2 answers
471 views

The name of special 16-dimensional hypercomplex number

Let's consider the following number: $n = n_0 + n_1\textbf{i} + n_2\textbf{j} + n_3\textbf{k}$ Where $\{1,\textbf{i},\textbf{j},\textbf{k}\}\subset\mathbb{H}$ and in turn each component can be written ...
Мікалас Кaрыбутоў's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
87 views

Flag variety over quaternions and its Hecke algebra

Consider cell decomposition of flag variety of $\mathbb{H}^{n}$ into orbits under the action of $B(\mathbb{H})$ - group of upper triangular matrices with coefficients in $\mathbb{H}$. I think cells ...
Rybin Dmitry's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
572 views

The Hilbert symbols of quaternion algebras over a totally real field

Let $k$ be a totally real number field. Every quaternion algebra $B$ over $k$ can be written as $$B = \left(\frac{a,b}{k}\right), $$ for some constants $a,b \in k^\times$. My question is, can I always ...
Abenthy's user avatar
  • 517
3 votes
1 answer
364 views

Dimension of hermitian rank at most $k$ matrices over quaternions

In a (right) finite dimensional quaternionic Hilbert space there is an analogue of the spectral theorem (see theorem 4.6 in Farenick and Pidkowich) for normal matrices in $\mathbb{H}^{m\times m}$, ...
Josiah Park's user avatar
  • 3,167
6 votes
1 answer
195 views

Conductor of quaternionic representation

Classical work by Casselman shows that for an irreducible admissible representation $\rho$ of $GL_2$ over a non-archimedean field $k$, there is a minimal power $n\geq 0$ of the prime ideal $\mathfrak{...
Konrad's user avatar
  • 469
4 votes
2 answers
293 views

Quaternion holomorphic maps via certain elliptic operator instead of immediate generalization of complex differentiability

We identify $\mathbb{R}^4$ with the quaternions $\mathbb{H}=\{t=x+yi+zj+wk\mid x,y,z,w\in \mathbb{R}\}$. We define the differential operator $D$ on $C^{\infty}(\mathbb{R}^4)$, the space of smooth ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
384 views

Existence of certain endomorphism of supersingular elliptic curve

Let $E$ be a supersingular elliptic curve over an algebraically closed field $K$ of characteristic $p$. Let $R = \operatorname{End}(E)$ be its ring of endomorphisms. Then, it is known $R \otimes_{\...
Dustin Cartwright's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
167 views

Is it possible to prevent gimbal lock on a 2 axis gimble by adding a 3rd axis treating it as an "2d" quaternion? [closed]

If I have a 2 axis gimbal, that functions similar to a theodolite, that rotates the pitch and yaw axis. If I were to add an axis to make it a traditional gimbal, would I be able to prevent the gimbal-...
falordphil's user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
759 views

Solutions to the Diophantine equation $x^2+3y^2+3z^2=n$

For a fixed positive integer $n$, the Diophantine equation $$x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = n$$ was studied by Gauss in Disquisitiones Arithmeticae. As is known, this equation is intimately connected to the ...
Anton's user avatar
  • 1,573
1 vote
1 answer
171 views

Name and Properties of Quaternions Related to 3D Differential Geometry

In 3D differential geometry there are canonical local coordinate systems associated with each point of sufficiently smooth curves and surfaces: in the case of curves there are the Frenet frames $$\...
Manfred Weis's user avatar
  • 12.6k