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"
Yikes! After re-reading my own post, it seems that this would better represent the term 'gobbledygook' or possibly the phrase 'confused jargon' and whatnot. But seriously, after looking at the traffic stats, it seems to me that there are very few people out there searching for the meanings or reasons for imaginary numbers within this crazy field of quantum mechanics. LOL!
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