Real and imaginary: The time-dependent Schrödinger equation formulated using complex numbers. (Courtesy: iStock/piranka) Complex numbers are essential to achieve the most accurate quantum-mechanical ...

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Complex numbers turned out to be a fantastic tool, not only for solving equations but also for simplifying the mathematics of classical physics—the physics developed up until the 20th century.

In standard quantum mechanics, complex numbers are used to describe the wavefunction. Although this has so far proven sufficient to predict experimental results, there is no theoretical reason to ...