Imaginary Numbers in Quantum Mechanics

The typical numbers that are commonplace and used within the more mundane version of life, is often called "real numbers." You know, stuff like adding, subtracting, dividing, fractions, positive and even negative numbers. Imaginary numbers, on the other hand, still play an important role in mathemagics, oops, I mean mathematics; ha! For example, imaginary numbers have the strange property of involving the square root of a negative number. A square of a positive number is a positive number, and the square of a negative number is also a positive number.

However, math~magics also take into account, numbers that when multiplied by itself still gives a negative number. This is definitely imaginary albeit it still obeys a consistent set of rules. Now, if you take a pair of numbers with one being "real" and the other being "imaginary," you then get what they call "complex numbers." Ha-ha! The reason for the unpredictability in quantum mechanics is from taking the square of a wave function (which is like the complex numbers), as you will get a positive numerical value that is real, although you will lose part of the info contained within the complex number, which is called "the phase."

If any of this made sense to you, please exit this screen now because you've landed on the wrong page. If you are as confused as a quantum mechanic often is, feel free to laugh. LOL!

---End of Post "Imaginary Numbers in Quantum Mechanics"


Semi-related Post: "Singularity vs. Quantum Foam"