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To: cgbg; longshadow
This stuff reminds me of the square root of -1--it shouldn't exist but it is a useful tool in the real world.

Why shouldn't it exist? I would imagine that it's as real as any other number. (Note the complex sentence.)

The real question (IMNSHO) is: "Why does the Sqrt(-1) suffice?" In other words, why do we not need CubeRoot(-1), etc.?

22 posted on 12/04/2005 8:34:10 AM PST by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch ist der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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To: Doctor Stochastic; snarks_when_bored
The real question (IMNSHO) is: "Why does the Sqrt(-1) suffice?" In other words, why do we not need CubeRoot(-1), etc.?

Point of Information: do you mean "why do we NOT need CubeRoot (-1), etc." in order to model QM, or are you asking the question in a more abstract, purely mathematical sense?

32 posted on 12/04/2005 9:32:16 AM PST by longshadow
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To: Doctor Stochastic
The real question (IMNSHO) is: "Why does the Sqrt(-1) suffice?" In other words, why do we not need CubeRoot(-1), etc.?

Doesn't the cube root of -1 = -1?

61 posted on 12/04/2005 10:15:57 AM PST by bobdsmith
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To: Doctor Stochastic

We DO need the cube root of -1. It's called "-1".


69 posted on 12/04/2005 10:35:23 AM PST by wotan
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