The universe runs on complex numbers

[Anonymous No.12796823]

An experiment has been devised to test whether the exchange of spin between particles runs on complex numbers or real numbers.
https://www.quantamagazine.org/imaginary-numbers-may-be-essential-for-describing-reality-20210303/

[Anonymous No.12796829]

>>12796823
Nobody gives a shit about your off-site popsci article. Either describe the technical content here or get the fuck off my board.

[Anonymous No.12796833]

Complex analysis has always been the enterprise of mathematical Chads.

[Anonymous No.12796842]

>>12796823
Complex numbers are basically just two-dimensional vectors in number form, aren't they? I'm not sure why it's surprising to people that you can describe nature with that way better than with one-dimensional numbers.

[Anonymous No.12796856]

>>12796829
fuck off, shitstain

[Anonymous No.12796890]

>>12796842
Because people think "imaginary" numbers are some schizo bullshit and not as useful as "real" numbers.

[Anonymous No.12796898]

>>12796842
Exactly. It’s actually more surprising that 2 dimensional numbers can be so descriptive.

[Anonymous No.12796941]

>>12796898
It's not that surprising. QM is unitary, so complex numbers arise naturally because the unitary group U(n) is the intersection of the orthogonal group O(2n), the symplectic group Sp(2n,R) and the complex general linear group GL(n,C). You can do QM purely with real numbers, but the underlying mathematical structure that contains complex numbers is still there even if you ignore them in calculations.

[Anonymous No.12796946]

>>12796842
>I'm not sure why it's surprising to people that you can describe nature with that way better than with one-dimensional numbers.
it's because they don't understand complex numbers