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Do Complex Numbers Exist?

Sabine Hossenfelder · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Quantum physicsPure mathematics

What it is

Sabine Hossenfelder asks whether complex numbers are just a convenient tool or necessary in physics. She discusses a recent paper arguing that quantum mechanics cannot be done with real numbers alone.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN recommends it as a short, accessible layperson explanation of the real-versus-complex quantum theory debate.

  • 3 people recommended it
  • 3 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2021, last 2023

What HN commenters said

  1. “I highly recommend video by Sabine Hossenfelder [1] on this topic.”

    Layman explanation of whether complex numbers physically exist

    viktorcode, 2022-02 · Strong recommendation · in “How the modern world arose from imaginary numbers”

  2. “There is a nice 10 minute discussion about this paper by physicist Sabine Hossenfelder”

    Ten-minute discussion of the real-number quantum theory paper

    johnp271, 2021-12 · Recommendation · in “Quantum theory based on real numbers can be experimentally falsified”

  3. “This video by Sabine Hossenfelder is probably more informative on this topic”

    More informative discussion of the paper

    ars, 2023-04 · Recommendation · in “Quantum Physics Falls Apart Without Imaginary Numbers”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: complex numbers, quantum mechanics, physics, sabine hossenfelder

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