I think the number i was developed to torture young minds and scare us away from anything math related. I still like math despite this because that section of math class was blanked out in my brain for self-preservation.

Yes, I said "the number i." Somehow, i is a number. I even know what it is -- the square root of -1. What I don't get is what it can be used for. Because it's NOT REAL!

Nope, it's imaginary. It does not, in fact, exist. But it helps you get from point A to point B sometimes. It's a mathematical wormhole.

I understand a, b, c, d and x...but i?

No, no.

Hey PC! I wasn't sure I'd catch you on here at the same time I was (but since I've been online all day, well, the chances were good).

I will definately come out for a visit. You only live, like, an hour and a half away!

Imaginary numbers are used in some things like modeling fluid dynamics, and some other physics things with looking at other things that move like waves or fluids. I can't really give a concrete example of how, though -- most of what I've been working on has been theoretical stuff, and I haven't looked at things like that much.

Yes, I said "the number i." Somehow, i is a number. I even know what it is -- the square root of -1. What I don't get is what it can be used for. Because it's NOT REAL!

Nope, it's imaginary. It does not, in fact, exist.

But if it doesn't exist, then it isn't real!

....perhaps you see my sticking point with it.

But it helps you get from point A to point B sometimes. It's a mathematical wormhole.

Handwaving? But how can something that doesn't exist help with something that DOES exist???

....perhaps you see why I'd swoon if anyone could explain it to me.

I will definately come out for a visit. You only live, like, an hour and a half away!

Yay! We should hang out ALL THE TIME.

But how can something that doesn't exist help with something that doesn't exist???

No no. Something that doesn't exist helps with something that does exist. Inasmuch as negative numbers exist. Which, I suppose, they don't. But they don't exist on a whole nother level than imaginary numbers. Maybe you were right the first time.

But how can something that doesn't exist help with something that doesn't exist???

No no. Something that doesn't exist helps with something that does exist.

That was a typo. My bad. I meant "with something that DOES exist."

But how can something that doesn't exist help with something that doesn't exist???

To get from a theoretical point A to a theoretical point B by way of an imaginary number.

I'm saying the words and they still aren't connecting with the brain. I find it somewhat confusing how, when I was in high school, we could just accept that "i" was a valid "number" without requiring a proof of it's existance. Maybe that was too much for a teenager's mind to comprehend.

All I can do is think that these numbers live in Lovecraftian universe, and that they are Weird Physics signifiers.

I still don't understand, but it comforts me.