Just as in all the other numbers systems we’ve seen, you can add, subtract, multiply and divide octonions. And just as with the quaternions, we need some special rules to govern how to multiply all ...

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 ...

Here’s how it works. An imaginary number is a number that, when squared, has a negative result. Essentially, an imaginary number is the square root of a negative number and does not have a ...

Imaginary numbers might seem like unicorns and goblins — interesting but irrelevant to reality. But for describing matter at its roots, imaginary numbers turn out to be essential. They seem to ...

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss imaginary numbers - important mathematical phenomena which provide us with useful tools for understanding the world. Show more Melvyn Bragg and his guests ...