How Were Imaginary Numbers Invented?
These mathematicians, through rivalry and innovation, laid the groundwork for a completely new kind of number, fundamentally changing both mathematics and physics, and paving the way for modern quantum mechanics.
Mathematics has long served as a fundamental tool for understanding our world. It began with practical applications, like measuring land and tracking commerce, evolving to address more complex challenges, such as predicting planetary motions.
However, a seemingly insurmountable obstacle emerged with the cubic equation, an equation that stumped civilizations for centuries. The breakthrough came with a bold step: detaching mathematics from tangible reality. This detachment led to the creation of numbers so unusual that they were termed ‘imaginary.’
A Leap into the Unknown
The journey into the land of imaginary numbers began with a problem that had confounded mathematicians for millennia: the cubic equation.
Historically, mathematics was deeply rooted in the physical world, dealing with quantities and shapes that could be seen and touched. This connection to the tangible world was evident in the way ancient…
