Anyone here ever got bugged with i?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the philosophical and mathematical implications of the imaginary unit "i," particularly its definition and existence. Participants argue that while "i" is labeled as an "imaginary number," it functions as a vector in a two-dimensional space, specifically in the context of complex numbers. The conversation highlights the historical development of complex numbers, referencing mathematicians like Cardano, Euler, and Gauss, and emphasizes that mathematical constructs do not need to conform to physical reality. The consensus is that "i" is a valid mathematical entity, despite its non-intuitive properties.

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  • Knowledge of historical mathematical figures such as Cardano, Euler, and Gauss
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  • #61
To this I have to add, not meaning to be facetious, negative chairs and negative money also don't exist but make for very useful tools for accounting. Negative numbers, of course, were once the imaginary numbers of now.
 
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  • #62
hddd123456789 said:
To this I have to add, not meaning to be facetious, negative chairs and negative money also don't exist but make for very useful tools for accounting. Negative numbers, of course, were once the imaginary numbers of now.


Haha, true, and zero didn't exist until it was created too.

But negatives are easier to instinctively associate... like move 10m North then 10m South, and you're back to where you were.

Anyway, nevermind "i"... this whole tread got me deeply troubled with my beloved reals... ay-ay-ay, that's a much bigger problem.. :cry:
 

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