Dear Jouko Harri Tiainen, The imaginary unit is relevant for physics; however, I think it describes the rotation of space well. Multiplication by an imaginary unit gives a rotation of 900, and multiplication by a square of an imaginary unit rotates the space by 1800, and so on. The wave function describes the rotation of space as a function of the momentum and energy of the particle.The physical space, which according to Descartes is matter, serves as the foundation for the birth of life. Look at my essay, FQXi Fundamental in New Cartesian Physics by Dizhechko Boris Semyonovich Where I showed how radically the physics can change if it follows this principle. Evaluate and leave your comment there. I highly value your essay; however, I'll give you a rating as the bearer of Descartes' idea. Do not allow New Cartesian Physics go away into nothingness, which wants to be the theory of everything OO.

Sincerely, Dizhechko Boris Semyonovich.

Hi Jouko,

Wow, I really had to keep concentration to read your essay. I like your way of "logical thinking" and valued it in order to bring you up in the contest. For me, however, the real conclusions were in your appendix.

Some remarks:

"continuous observation" When talking about continuous as a process of time, we are always becoming aware of the results of our observations later as they happen, we are always observing the PAST. The continuity we are conscious of may be an illusion (emergent phenomenon). Does this influence your thoughts?

A little remark on "quantum theory of immortality". If you are taking more then the normal age a cat survives (for instance 20 years) then the cat will die of age. This theory, in my opinion, hasn't the right name. It IS all right when we could arrange an infinity of measurements in one moment (whatever length that may have, but take the Planck time)...But...as time is an emergent phenomenon and EACH measurement is taking place in this illusion, we can go on and on....because it is NOT THE SAME emergent cat...

"let there be a superposition of all heads that is pure, allow one impure state for the UWF Universal Wave Function itself, which can act via entanglement as the wave equation for the pure superposition.". This superposition in my model is just ONE of the Reality Loops available as a probability.

In my contribution, I propose a new model of emergent reality that has not the problems of the MWI, Schrödingers Cat, the double slit experiment, paradoxes of Xeno etc, the collapse of the wave function, etc. I wonder what are your thoughts about my essay "Foundational Quantum Reality Loops", so I hope that you can spare some of your time-area to read, comment and maybe rate it.

Best regards and good luck

Wilhelmus de Wilde

Dear Jouko Harri Tiainen, The imaginary unit is relevant for physics; It is very interesting - the area of the imaginary unit, however, I think it describes the rotation of space well. Multiplication by an imaginary unit gives a rotation of в€Џ/2, and multiplication by a square of an imaginary unit rotates the space by в€Џ, and so on. The wave function describes the rotation of space as a function of the momentum and energy of the particle.The physical space, which according to Descartes is matter, serves as the foundation for the birth of life. Look at my essay, FQXi Fundamental in New Cartesian Physics by Dizhechko Boris Semyonovich Where I showed how radically the physics can change if it follows this principle. Evaluate and leave your comment there

Sincerely, Dizhechko Boris Semyonovich.

Dear Jouko,

Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog. I looked at your paper and let me get the bad news out of the way:

If you are working on these ideas for yourself, then more power to you. But I have the impression that you mean your work to be considered and eventually accepted by others, in particular physicists and mathematician. I regret to tell you that in its present form, your work has pretty much no chance to be taken seriously by any physicists or mathematicians.

The problem is not necessarily with your overarching idea, that we should consider the reals in terms of areas. After all, both length and area are measures and so perhaps there is a valid novel interpretation of imaginary units there somewhere.

No, the problem is with how you go about trying to demonstrate it:

You take a large number of unjustified steps, make many illegitimate moves and mistakes so that your conclusions simply don't follow. There are far too many for me to point out, so I will limit myself to a couple.

You say that you want to make the speed of light the imaginary unit. It is true that one can work with special relativity in a Euclidean metric by substituting [math]ict[/math] for [math]ct[/math] but that does not mean that $c$ itself can be set equal to the imaginary unit. If we could, then we should write $E=m i^2=E=-m$, which means that rest energy is negative. That is simply incorrect. Physicists do use $c=1$ but that is just notation, in that notation it is $E=m$ which is consistent with what we know.

2. You introduce brackets into general relativity without clearly saying what they mean (you call the bra the "constant of closure" for GR, which makes me wonder whether you know the difference between the concept of a field in mathematics and the concept of a field in physics), only to later claim that they somehow represent probabilities. While brackets may be used in semi-classical quantum gravity, they are utterly foreign to general relativity. If you are going to introduce them, you have to, for example, show how it does not lead to any contradictions in the theory.

There is much, much more but it does not add much for me to go on.

My suggestion is as follows:

Like I said, your basic idea may have merit, but how you go about trying to show it, mixing math and physics in all sort of illegitimate ways will not get your work accepted. In my view, you should

1. Separate out the physics entirely until you have the math worked out.

To work out the math you need a stronger math background. I would suggest either taking courses or self-study (but then you have to do the problems still) of the following subjects:

a. Introductory set theory. The second half of such a course covers how sets code numbers, starting with the natural numbers all the way to complex. Learning this will broaden your horizon and take the focus off the numbers themselves to the relationships that define different number sets.

b. Introductory abstract algebra: In such a course, you will learn the difference between a group, a ring, a module and a field. Again, this will provide you with a perspective in which it is the relationships between the numbers that provides the deepest sort of understanding

c. Analysis: Really, what you might need is measure theory, but that is a grad-level subject, and analysis is sort of the the simpler version of it. In this course you will learn how to give proofs, mathematical arguments which do not suffer a lot of the problems your arguments currently suffer from.

2. Only after you have worked the math out, start looking for applications in physics

I should note that I have the impression that while you understand many isolated physics concepts, I am not sure you have an understanding that integrates them. As the saying goes, the amateur sees 1000 facts where the expert sees one fact structure. So keep learning physics, too, but don't try to apply your math idea until you have worked it out as a purely math concept.

I have provided you with tough but honest criticism because this is how I see our role as participants in search of deeper understanding. The search of truth requires criticism whenever warranted, not pats on the back when they are not warranted. I wish you good luck in your endeavor.

All the best,

Armin

    When I listed the math courses I think you need, I left out the obvious one:

    Complex Analysis. If you take this, however, after you already have a background in the other three subjects, then, if your fundamental idea really has merit, be in an excellent position to immediately apply it to more advanced subjects involving complex numbers, such as contour integrals, which will then naturally suggest to you ways to incorporate your idea in physics (yes, physicists do use contour integrals).

    Armin

    Dear Jouko Harri Tiainen,

    I admire Armin's work very very much, but I don't think I agree with all of his statements, perhaps because I ignored your use of bra and ket, and also your treatment of entanglement. I pretty much ignore everyone's treatment of entanglement, for reasons I have already published, but as it is a common belief today, I do not generally downgrade essays for expressing this belief, or even a novel way of trying to make sense of it. Armin makes some good points, such as E=-m if i=c. Perhaps i~c would be more appropriate? You do use +i and -i so one might get E=m...

    Nevertheless, my perspective here is that you are simply letting the speed of light take on a unit value and similarly Planck's constant take on unit value and you are trying to make sense of the imaginary i in key physics equations.

    Why is that i there?

    I have concluded, with many others, that geometric algebra is the most powerful tool available for physicists today. In geometric algebra the function of i is that of a duality operator, which transforms the element it is operating on into its dual. That is how I'm interpreting your work. As I say below, your essay (for me) requires more study, but I do not dismiss it out of hand. Perhaps because physicists are so comfortable with complex analysis and so used to using the imaginary i in Minkowski geometry and Schrödinger's equation they see no need to think further. For pure geometry this is probably reasonable, but physicists tend to treat the i in quantum mechanics as somewhat mystical. Again, I want to spend more time thinking about this, and I will do so in the framework of the geometric algebra duality operator.

    By equating i to the speed of light (i=c) you suggest that the speed of light is a "constant of motion" if "the laws of physics (or the equations) are the same in all inertial reference frames."

    If one believes as Einstein, that "space does not exist absent of field" and that the gravitational field fills space, then the Galilean invariance of the Maxwell-Hertz equations implies only one time dimension, and this is consistent with constant speed of light in a local gravity frame. Coordinates fixed in the gravity frame see constant c. But for other objects moving in the frame with velocity v, the constant local c appears as c+v from the perspective of elapsed time. This preserves the geometry of the Minkowski differential, without implying different time frames.

    You then postulate that the mathematical definition of +i and -i can be associated with GR (c=i) and QM (h=i). That is truly fascinating, and may relate to the energy-time conjugation I develop in my essay. My own interpretation of the relativity of a self-interacting field (such as gravity) leads to unidirectional time. I will try to see how to understand this in terms of your postulate. The Minkowski geometry does not imply multiple time dimensions. It is compatible with 'same time' Lorentz formulations in one inertial frame.

    You interpret h=i in Schrödinger's equation to satisfy 'Planck's quanta is constant' and "all time is equal for all observers", compatible with time as universal simultaneity. As I mention above, my own interpretation of the 'imaginary' i is as represented in geometric algebra, i.e., i is the duality operator that transforms one element of geometric algebra into its dual.

    I think this part of your essay is potentially very deep and requires thought. I plan to give it more thought and will score it accordingly. Congratulations.

    Best regards,

    Edwin Eugene Klingman

      • [deleted]

      Thank You for your in-depth comments and for the long long list of the many courses I should take to overcome the conceptual hurdles in my essay and my complete and obvious lack of knowledge in all fields of maths, science and philosphy. I have to thank you for pointing out a few of the many assumptions and "leaps of logic and ad hoc bounds of thought" in the essay. I will consider "these conceptual faults again" after I have done many many years of learning and integrating the ideas in your recommended courses -- in basic maths and elementary science -- and then I will try to start again with these ideas so as to form a more cogent flow of ideas for others to follow. Cheers Thanks ... Harri.

      The only point I have to make is that Minkowski was the one who "made c(m)=i(s)" here is a direct quote --- Minkowski's Paper - Minkowsky, Hermann, German paper Raum und Zeit (1909), Jahresberichte der Deutschen Mathematiker-Vereinigung, 75-88. In the 1920 English translation...We can clothe the essential nature of this postulate in the mystical, but mathematically significant formula 3x108(metre)=в€љ-1(second)... www.en.wikisource.org/wiki/Space_and_Time

      And since he can do that I thought why not do 6.63Г--10-34(Joules)=в€љ-1(second) which leads to the idea that space-time and energy-time conjugation come from the same source the indistinguishable "imaginary unit" which then goes to the idea .

      Basically the essay is all about what is the "imaginary unit" all about and why it is in all of the basic equations of physics. The basic idea is if you want a dual maths then use an area we get duals easily that way.

      Sorry I forgot to login hence the "Anonymous" in the above post -- Harri

      Thank you for bringing to my attention to Minkowski's paper. The link you provided does not work, but his original paper in German is available here:

      https://www.math.nyu.edu/~tschinke/papers/yuri/14minkowski/raum-und-zeit.pdf

      the passage you quoted is on page 86, starting with the 2nd paragraph. I will translate it (German is my native language):

      "One can from the outset choose the relationship between the unit length and unit time such that the natural speed limit is c=1. If one introduces $sqrt{-1}times t=s instead of $t$, then the quadratic differential expression

      [math]dtau^2=-dx^2-dy^2-dz^2-ds^2[/math]

      is completely symmetric in $x,y,z,s$, and this symmetry transfers to any law which does not contradict the world postulate [he used this term on p 82 apparently for a mathematical version of the principle of relativity, and which he uses as a justification for considering space and time on an equal footing]. One can then clothe the essence of the postulate mathematically in the pregnant mystical formula

      [math]3times 10^5 km=sqrt{-1}s [/math]"

      I understand now why you might you thought that one can substitute the imaginary unit for $c$. However: the metric in the equation above is Euclidean, as all the terms on the right have the same sign. If this is not easy to see, suppose we symbolize the spacetime interval by $r$ (normally we would use $s$, but Minkowski is already using it in this formula), then we can define

      [math]dtau^2=-dr^2[/math]

      then all the minus signs turn into plus signs if we set the right sides of the two equations equal to each other:

      [math]dr^2=dx^2+dy^2+dz^2+ds^2[/math]

      The point is, in his operation he did not actually consider $c=i$ but rather $s=it$, which turns the geometry into Euclidean four-space and his "mystical formula" does hold in that geometry. But if you take your geometry to be Euclidean fourspace instead of Minkowski spacetime, then you have to also modify all other special relativistic equations accordingly. For example, the momentum four-vector, which in Minkowski spacetime is

      [math](E/c, mathbf{p})[/math]

      under the Euclidean metric becomes

      [math](mathbf{p}, iE/c)[/math]

      so that the Minkowski norm of the momentum four-vector, which is

      [math]frac{E^2}{c^2}-p^2=m_0^2c^2[/math].

      under the Euclidean metric becomes

      [math]-left ( frac{-E^2}{c^2} right )-p^2=m_0^2c^2[/math]

      Notice that in order to make this come out right, the right hand side under the Euclidean metric has to have the opposite sign as the Energy, whereas under the Minkowski metric it has the same sign. That implies:

      [math]m_0^2c^2_{Minkowski}=-m_0^2c^2_{Euclidean}{[/math]

      and since in both cases we consider the rest mass $m_0$ to not change sign under either metric, it has to be the case that

      [math]c^2_{Minkowski}=-c^2_{Euclidean}[/math]

      From which it follows that

      [math]c_{Euclidean}=ic[/math]

      I used the unusual notation to drive home that Minkowski's "mystical formula" is just the result of considering special relativity in a Euclidean metric.

      I am really sorry about this misunderstanding, this is an extremely subtle issue which is not easy to catch unless one has already thought about it for a fair bit of time. Euclidean spacetime is not popular these days, but one textbook that uses it is Lawden, Tensor calculus, Relativity and Cosmology.

      Regarding your other remarks: The courses I recommended are not elementary. If I had thought that you are not up to the task, I would have either refrained from giving any suggestions or suggested courses like elementary algebra or arithmetic. The courses I recommended are those which tend to turn the student into a mathematician, so I was not as condescending as you seem to think. But be that as it may: your main idea might have merit, but your methods to show it need to improve. And I went through all this not to put you down, but to help you.

      Armin

      So the compiler on this website is crap. I will rewrite the formulas that did not come out right:

      (E/c, p) is the Minkowski four-vector, (p, iE/c) is the Euclidean fourvector.

      the next formula is

      E^2/c^2-p^2=m^2c^2

      the one after is

      -(-E^2/c^2)-p^2=m^2c^2

      then the formulas come out right.

      Oh I understand -- and a big thank you -- Armin --- Yes I do understand a bit better thanks and yes I agree your comments (after the above) weren't meant to be a downer -- thanks for the clarification. And I do actually think they have helped a lot.

      I will work on making the presentation of the ideas more consistent. Yours Harri. I did realise that Minkowski used the cEuclidean=ic and that saying "i=c" wasn't exactly what Minkowski meant, but the major point is that what if we make "i=c" then go on from that ... I do feel that making i2=+i and -i has a lot of merit. For example Peter Jackson's red/green sock trick is easy to picture if we use i=c and i=h, and also a version of the "Two Slit Experiment" also is easy to diagram. See attachment on this post if you have time -- easy peasy.

      It has been fun actually chatting to you Armin, thanks for the great comments and the technical details in the above post. The first post's FAQ attachment might answer some of your other questions, about areas being numbers and having probabilities within that area.

      Yes if I want a new idea heard -- I had better get the basic ideas "more" coherent. And especially notation.Attachment #1: Armin.pdf

      One cannot set c=i. "c" is a physical quantity. "i" is a mathematical quantity. Physical quantities are given by the product of a value and an unit. So expressions as c=i are meaningless.

      Yes, I saw Minkowski writting (or the people that traduced his work from German) expressions such as "3·105 km = sqrt(-1) Sec", but such expressions are meaningless.

      What we can do is reparametrize time as (t --> it) and use a natural system of units just to get a more symmetric expression for the element of line

      ds2 = - (dt2 + dx2 + dy2 + dz2)

      Alternatively we could just reparametrize the speed of light as (c --> ic) and obtain again a symmetric expression by imposing a natural system of units.

      But nothing of this modifies the physics. Physics does not vary by a change in units or by modifying the labels we use to represent things.

      The above changes turn the Minkowskian element of line into a symmetric Euclidean form, but other parts of the formalism are antisymmetrized. For example the equation of continuity is broken because the rate term (d/dx0) transforms into an imaginary quantity when we do (t --> it) or (c --> ic).

      The equations x2 + 1 = 0 and x2 + 12 = i2 02 are identical. The solution to the second is identical to the solution to the first.

      Similar remarks about setting i=h. This is a meaningless expression. Even if we ignore that, when you write the Schrödinger equation as (ihbar ðPsi/ðt = H Psi) and next claim h=i, we can check that replacing h by i in the equation breaks the imaginary term and the equation no longer describes quantum phenomena.

      The set of equations in the Hypothenuse box are also incorrect. One can add and subtract the equations and obtain invalid results. One can also just set b=0 and obtain the invalid result i=0.

      "Conclusion Winger's question on the nature of physics and mathematics can be addressed rigorously using the fundamental concept -- a number is an area. What is fundamental? A number is an area not a length." A number is neither an area nor a length, a number is a mathematical quantity. Areas and lengths are represented by physical quantities.

        Dear Tiainen

        Regarding your comment at my current essay; https://fqxi.org/community/forum/topic/3143

        Sorry that the changed terms in different feilds of knowledge and interpretations have lost most important fundamental terms of physics discipline, that are necessary to define What is fundamental in physics.

        "Your one indivisible atom sounds very odd to me"

        I didnt mean the chemical atom, that Dalton mistakenly gave to chem.elements

        Indivisible is the original meaning of the Greek word Atom, which Democtratus coine to the Nature's fundamental particle which physics discipline and Natural philosophy are based on. Therefore I strongly propose to keep term to its real meaning.

        I hope you now that the answer of question, What is fundamental? Is somehow depending on physcs. Since physics is the natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion and behavior through space and time, along with related concepts such as energy and force.In other word one can't study any effect without matter.

        Although these metaphors in terminology my answer is focusing Nature's Fundamental particle (matter) and energy Force that are still unsolved, or profoundly explained.

        I am readin your essay and will comment more after evaluation. Some points I appreciated are, "Clearly pure mathematical properties (p0,p1,p2,p3,....pn-1,pn,pn+1,......) are matched up with to

        cardinality classes 0,1,2,3,....... so" "Hypotenuse box" (Pythagorean).

        Regarding " bird eye and Frog eye, systems connection,Quantum monogamy".

        Are conceptually included in modelling, though it would be better to use 3D spherical clustering Program.it means that model used can be applied any particle's clustering, ex; electron, proton Neutron, atomic Nuclei, DNA, Dark matter, and so... But since this is summarized basic theory due to contest limitations detailed explanation require a lot.

        I am sure that "Most of the fundamental ideas of science are simple and can be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone".

        In 2010, my previous essay. http://fqxi.org/community/forum/topic/794

        I explained the Natures fundamental as simplest, smallest thing of all.

        On the other hand, I believe that current physics fundamental problems amongst dealing with fundamental terms such as original meaning of "Elementary" "Quanta" "Atom" .

        I found that biggest and misleading one off all is the term "massless"

        Question related fundental problems of phys;

        What is Elementary Quanta?

        What is Light Quanta?

        What is elementary Charge?

        What is Photon?

        What is Elementary particle?

        What is elementary energy?

        How these terms are related each other?

        Is E=mc^2 fundamentally applicable to all matter?

        Why light is affected by Gravity?

        What are Gravitational waves?

        Why we still discover Einsteins theory?

        Why Newtons simple statements Gravity is still most important of all Physical science?

        Is any scientific theory that we can overall spectrum of physical sciences?

        Which is natures dominant structure/shape at all level?

        Which way philosophical/ scientific idiea from the known history we come to here?

        Any possibility to continue it?.......

        "All these fifty years of conscious brooding have brought me no nearer to the answer to the question, 'What are light quanta?' Albert Einstein.

        In general (when dealing with light EM), I have different actions to Feyman's the three basic actions;

        -Action #1: A photon goes from place to place.

        -Action #2: An electron goes from place to place.

        -Action #3: An electron emits or absorbs a photon.

        My opinion

        -Action #1: A photon does not goes from place to place, but its energy is tranfered as wave(force influence/gravitational wave/dynamics).

        -Action #2: An electron does not goes from place to place, but its energy is tranfered as wave(force influence/gravitational wave/dynamics).

        -Action #3: An electron emits or absorbs a photon's energy, but not photon itself.

        Every particle's total energy must contain same quanta (certain quantity), of elementary energy, that equals the total quantity of elementary particle's(Photon's) energy.

        Since elementary mass 1.7x10^-36 kg, by dividing any particle's Mass into the elementary mass, we obtain ratio that equals to quantity of photons (note integer number).

        Every particle's total mass must contain same quanta (certain quantity), of elementary mass, that equals the total quantity of elementary particle's(Photon's) mass.

        Since elementary energy 1.6x10^-19eV, by dividing any particle's energy into the elementary energy, we obtain ratio that equals to quantity of photons (note integer number).

        Proton; 938, 272 081 MeV. 938 272 081 particle (Photons). ODD number of photons.

        Electron; 0.510999 MeV. 510999 particles. (Photons). ODD number of photons.

        Neutron; 939. 565 134 MeV. 939 565 134 particles(Photons) EVEN number of photons.

        You may also discuss following from Gravitational angle;

        Coulumb's constant?

        Universal Gravitational constant?

        G wave and EM wave same speed? Why?

        Pauli exclusion?

        Dimensions in String theory?

        .......

        Best wishes.

        Bashir.Attachment #1: 5_Bashir_Quantum_Mech_and_Relativity_Theory.pdf

        Jouko,

        You have some interesting ideas but they are very speculative. Essay contests such as this are a good place to present such ideas:-)

        I don't think you can set i=c or i=h but I do think you can construct something similar to the following:

        PSI = exp(omega) = sqrt[1 - (v/c)^2] (v/c)i

        Then for v=c, PSI=i.

        I think something similar can be constructed using the Plank Constant.

        You have given me somethings to think about. Many Thanks.

        Best Regards and Good Luck,

        Gary Simpson

          Hiannen.

          I hope you get the point, I'm planning to rewrite a mathematical version (equations) since I must check it will probably take for a while.

          In fact I don't trust mathematics if it doesn't have physical meaning that I can directly tell by words.

          Bashir.

          read the 4-square essay y Gary Simpson here https://fqxi.org/data/essay-contest-files/Simpson_Four_Squares_rev00.pdf

          here is my comment on Equation 1 below the dotted line ---

          ======================================================

          Every time I read your essay I seem to understand, it more and more.

          I have a couple of questions about Equation 1

          (a² + b² + c² + d²)u² = f²u²

          A quote page 3

          "The meaning of Equation 1 is that in a 4-D geometry, if a right triangle is constructed from an integer number of basis lengths in each of the four dimensions (a, b, c, and d), then the hypotenuse (f) that traverses through the 4-D space will also have an integer number of the basis lengths."

          In Equation 1

          Clearly it is the area u² that is common to both sides. Since its area's four squares when summed gives a transcendent "number" to both (a² + b² + c² +d²) and the area f². So if we have a 5-d hypotenuse cut from area f² within our 4-d space-time based on a well understood four squares geometry with an invariant length "the square root of s²". How do you avoid this "cut" being s and not the area s²=(a² + b² + c² +d²) which what equation 1 is saying. That the total area of (a² + b² + c² +d²) times the common area u² equals the common of area of u² times the area f². And ever body knows that (the sign of s²) times (the sign of area u²) equals (the sign of area u²) times (the sign of the area f²).

          "Yes, I am treating an octonion as a bi-quaternion. That is what makes the multiplication table work.

          The matrix multiplication is interesting. If the complex i commutes normally with the unit vectors, the coefficient matrix uses B. But if the complex i anti-commutes with the unit vectors, the coefficient matrix uses B*."

          Bi-quaternions are just directed areas, that is, an area with a + and - sign. Clearly the matrix works because we have the invariant area ijk which then allows us to use octonian logic "based on + and - signs" which are attached to the bi-quaternions' areas. Hence in equation 1 the need of the 5-d hypotenuse cut from the area f² in our 4-d world which is based on an invariant four squares space-time summation.

          Your 5-d area's four squares summation gives us the length of 4-d hypotenuse "the invariant length of the square root s²" not the total invariant area summation. You have 4-d areas with a 5-d hypotenuse length of the four squares for the area f². We have literally have a 5-d hypotenuse length within our 4-d space-time that any four square summation must obey. Since the area of u² is the one common transcendental number that bridges both sides of Equation 1, while the 5-d hypotenuse is an invariant 4-d length that any summation must have available to have closure for the geometry of the area of f².

          A number (which is a perfect square) is the summation of four squares. If the area of f² is n square metres d²ct, then the physical manifestation of that area is a n invariant unit lengths of dct in our 4-d space-time. Not an area. We have an area f² on the right RHS, then on the LHS, equation 1 has a 5-d hypotenuse cut -- length c(metre) -- an invariant length that, by the 4-S theorem and equation 1 - each and every, any and, all - four square invariant summations must obey within our space-time.

          Of course your multiplication matrices Eq 5.4 and Eq 5.5, clearly ties "i" with c(metre), via the common area u² which is on both sides, where we have units of the summation of transcendental i if we use the 4-S theorem on both sides at once but using your multiplication rules A,B*,A,B* for - and + sign matrix Eq 5.3, which is, after all, a + and - sign summation using "octonian" logic directed bi-quaternion areas i.e. the column [C,D], using Eq 4.1 about a stationary "ijk" invariant the area f², using f a length "the square root of the area of f²" to transverse the equal sign, Equation 1 uses a 5-d length, so cannot be associated 1-1 with a summation of four square labelled A,B,C,D thought of as a "a perfect number as an area". It is - the area u² - that is, the common "four square summation" i.e. the perfect square, that spans the equal sign using the 4-S theorem on both sides of Equation 1. A number (which is a perfect square) is the summation of four squares). Your Eq 5.3 is a dance using A,B,C,D where A,B,C,D do integral steps on directed areas ALL on the geometry of the area of ijk. More simply the dance is with the directed areas which have a + or - sign, that is, i and * are not moving, i.e. they don't lead! It is --- i and * --- that are stationary and it is Eq 5.3 that moves areas that equal + or - throughout a basic multiplication table page 6, clearly Eq 5.3 only gives the square root of s², a length not an area for how the multiplication table works in your matrices Eq 5.4 and Eq 5.5.

          The full 4-S multiplication "of the areas on both sides of Equation 1" is:-

          (the sign of the area (a²+b²+c²+d²)) times (the sign of the area u² on the LHS) equals (the sign of the area u² on the RHS) times (the sign of the area f²).

          You will find Eq 5.3 octonian area + and - logic uses only the "square roots for the area u²" on the LHS for the bi-quaternions areas plus and minus signs attachment. That is, it is the common area of the transcendent "number" (a summation of four squares) which transverses the equal sign in Eq 1. as perfect numbers). Not your A,B*,A,B*,-,+ matrix dance Eq 5.3. which is after all + and - sign summation using "octonian" logic directed bi-quaternion areas i.e. the column [C,D]; clearly uses Eq 4.1 a stationary "ijk" invariant the area f².

          More simply, the area of f² is ijk equals -1 and then we take the square root of the area of ijk. that is, √-1 the imaginary unit. Clearly the full 4-S multiplication table for the "equal sign" invariant + and - unit count across the equal sign for Equation 1 is a transcendent dimensional process with "a unit of the square root of the area u² (see below)"; we will call the invariant unit of the times table a "sec"" for the area of the total summation of the area of the four squares of space-time. Then the 5-d hypotenuse cut would have a pure number a "transcendental" 5-d number c=i and it's "4-d length" of the times table is i(sec). The full 4-S sign multiplication times table used for how the LHS and RHS signs of the area u² common area behave across the equal sign, are;

          same signs on the LHS and RHS give +ve while different signs on the RHS and LHS give -ve.

          Or the appearance of the bridge (common area) across the equal sign is in units of -- +i and -i -- that is how we cross the equal sign using the area of u² on the LHS and using the area of u² on the RHS.

          Gary said in my comments

          You have some interesting ideas but they are very speculative. Essay contests such as this are a good place to present such ideas:-)

          I don't think you can set i=c or i=h but I do think you can construct something similar to the following:PSI = exp(omega) = sqrt[1 - (v/c)^2] + (v/c)i

          Then for v=c, PSI=i. I looked at your work instead, to see how you bridged with a common 5-d length (of the square root of f²) the areas on both sides of the equal sign. Your method mixes lengths with areas across the equal sign. While in the full 4-S, it is the four sums of +i and -i that are the "invariant count" lengths of the area u². The hypotenuse of the area geometry of f² is an invariant 5-d length "f" which isn't an area on the LHS.

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          read the 4-square essay by Gary Simpson here https://fqxi.org/data/essay-contest-files/Simpson_Four_Squares_rev00.pdf

          here is my comment on Equation 1 below the dotted line ---

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          Every time I read your essay I seem to understand, it more and more.

          I have a couple of questions about Equation 1

          (a² + b² + c² + d²)u² = f²u²

          A quote page 3

          "The meaning of Equation 1 is that in a 4-D geometry, if a right triangle is constructed from an integer number of basis lengths in each of the four dimensions (a, b, c, and d), then the hypotenuse (f) that traverses through the 4-D space will also have an integer number of the basis lengths."

          In Equation 1

          Clearly it is the area u² that is common to both sides. Since its area's four squares when summed gives a transcendent "number" to both (a² + b² + c² +d²) and the area f². So if we have a 5-d hypotenuse cut from area f² within our 4-d space-time based on a well understood four squares geometry with an invariant length "the square root of s²". How do you avoid this "cut" being s and not the area s²=(a² + b² + c² +d²) which what equation 1 is saying. That the total area of (a² + b² + c² +d²) times the common area u² equals the common of area of u² times the area f². And ever body knows that (the sign of s²) times (the sign of area u²) equals (the sign of area u²) times (the sign of the area f²).

          "Yes, I am treating an octonion as a bi-quaternion. That is what makes the multiplication table work.

          The matrix multiplication is interesting. If the complex i commutes normally with the unit vectors, the coefficient matrix uses B. But if the complex i anti-commutes with the unit vectors, the coefficient matrix uses B*."

          Bi-quaternions are just directed areas, that is, an area with a + and - sign. Clearly the matrix works because we have the invariant area ijk which then allows us to use octonian logic "based on + and - signs" which are attached to the bi-quaternions' areas. Hence in equation 1 the need of the 5-d hypotenuse cut from the area f² in our 4-d world which is based on an invariant four squares space-time summation.

          Your 5-d area's four squares summation gives us the length of 4-d hypotenuse "the invariant length of the square root s²" not the total invariant area summation. You have 4-d areas with a 5-d hypotenuse length of the four squares for the area f². We have literally have a 5-d hypotenuse length within our 4-d space-time that any four square summation must obey. Since the area of u² is the one common transcendental number that bridges both sides of Equation 1, while the 5-d hypotenuse is an invariant 4-d length that any summation must have available to have closure for the geometry of the area of f².

          A number (which is a perfect square) is the summation of four squares. If the area of f² is n square metres d²ct, then the physical manifestation of that area is a n invariant unit lengths of dct in our 4-d space-time. Not an area. We have an area f² on the right RHS, then on the LHS, equation 1 has a 5-d hypotenuse cut -- length c(metre) -- an invariant length that, by the 4-S theorem and equation 1 - each and every, any and, all - four square invariant summations must obey within our space-time.

          Of course your multiplication matrices Eq 5.4 and Eq 5.5, clearly ties "i" with c(metre), via the common area u² which is on both sides, where we have units of the summation of transcendental i if we use the 4-S theorem on both sides at once but using your multiplication rules A,B*,A,B* for - and + sign matrix Eq 5.3, which is, after all, a + and - sign summation using "octonian" logic directed bi-quaternion areas i.e. the column [C,D], using Eq 4.1 about a stationary "ijk" invariant the area f², using f a length "the square root of the area of f²" to transverse the equal sign, Equation 1 uses a 5-d length, so cannot be associated 1-1 with a summation of four square labelled A,B,C,D thought of as a "a perfect number as an area". It is - the area u² - that is, the common "four square summation" i.e. the perfect square, that spans the equal sign using the 4-S theorem on both sides of Equation 1. A number (which is a perfect square) is the summation of four squares). Your Eq 5.3 is a dance using A,B,C,D where A,B,C,D do integral steps on directed areas ALL on the geometry of the area of ijk. More simply the dance is with the directed areas which have a + or - sign, that is, i and * are not moving, i.e. they don't lead! It is --- i and * --- that are stationary and it is Eq 5.3 that moves areas that equal + or - throughout a basic multiplication table page 6, clearly Eq 5.3 only gives the square root of s², a length not an area for how the multiplication table works in your matrices Eq 5.4 and Eq 5.5.

          The full 4-S multiplication "of the areas on both sides of Equation 1" is:-

          (the sign of the area (a²+b²+c²+d²)) times (the sign of the area u² on the LHS) equals (the sign of the area u² on the RHS) times (the sign of the area f²).

          You will find Eq 5.3 octonian area + and - logic uses only the "square roots for the area u²" on the LHS for the bi-quaternions areas plus and minus signs attachment. That is, it is the common area of the transcendent "number" (a summation of four squares) which transverses the equal sign in Eq 1. as perfect numbers). Not your A,B*,A,B*,-,+ matrix dance Eq 5.3. which is after all + and - sign summation using "octonian" logic directed bi-quaternion areas i.e. the column [C,D]; clearly uses Eq 4.1 a stationary "ijk" invariant the area f².

          More simply, the area of f² is ijk equals -1 and then we take the square root of the area of ijk. that is, √-1 the imaginary unit. Clearly the full 4-S multiplication table for the "equal sign" invariant + and - unit count across the equal sign for Equation 1 is a transcendent dimensional process with "a unit of the square root of the area u² (see below)"; we will call the invariant unit of the times table a "sec"" for the area of the total summation of the area of the four squares of space-time. Then the 5-d hypotenuse cut would have a pure number a "transcendental" 5-d number c=i and it's "4-d length" of the times table is i(sec). The full 4-S sign multiplication times table used for how the LHS and RHS signs of the area u² common area behave across the equal sign, are;

          same signs on the LHS and RHS give +ve while different signs on the RHS and LHS give -ve.

          Or the appearance of the bridge (common area) across the equal sign is in units of -- +i and -i -- that is how we cross the equal sign using the area of u² on the LHS and using the area of u² on the RHS.

          Gary said in my comments

          You have some interesting ideas but they are very speculative. Essay contests such as this are a good place to present such ideas:-)

          I don't think you can set i=c or i=h but I do think you can construct something similar to the following:PSI = exp(omega) = sqrt[1 - (v/c)^2] + (v/c)i

          Then for v=c, PSI=i. I looked at your work instead, to see how you bridged with a common 5-d length (of the square root of f²) the areas on both sides of the equal sign. Your method mixes lengths with areas across the equal sign. While in the full 4-S, it is the four sums of +i and -i that are the "invariant count" lengths of the area u². The hypotenuse of the area geometry of f² is an invariant 5-d length "f" which isn't an area on the LHS.

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