The rule of our daily lives is that "multiplying the same number by itself (squaring it) always results in a positive number.

Humanities scholar Lee Eun-soo, professor of philosophy at Seoul National University (left), and mathematician Lee Seung-jae, postdoctoral researcher at Seoul National University (right) Squaring 0 ...

Yes, those of us who studied mathematics and physics after high school are familiar with the values $${i = \sqrt{-1}}$$ and ...

Imaginary numbers can seem confusing at first, but they play a powerful role in mathematics and real-world applications. This guide explains what imaginary numbers are, why they exist, and how they ...

Mathematicians were disturbed, centuries ago, to find that calculating the properties of certain curves demanded the seemingly impossible: numbers that, when multiplied by themselves, turn negative.

Imaginary numbers might seem like unicorns and goblins — interesting but irrelevant to reality. But for describing matter at its roots, imaginary numbers turn out to be essential. They seem to be ...

In this video, we explore the role of imaginary numbers—numbers involving √−1—in modern physics. Initially seen as abstract, they play a crucial role in quantum mechanics, wave behavior, electrical ...

Malcontent Wes popped into the comments of our recent post on the mathematical improbability of vampires with a link to a blog post with a great math-vampire analogy: vampires are the imaginary ...

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To a nonmathematician, having the letter “i” represent a number that does not quite exist and is “imaginary” can be hard to wrap your head around. If you open your mind to this way of thinking, ...