the Schrödinger equation, has an i explicitly in it and y is inherently a complex-valued function.
Does quantum mechanics need complex numbers? Couldn't one express y as the linear combination of two real fields, f and g, where y = f + i g. By substituting this expression into the Schrödinger equation, you could develop two equations for the two unknown fields f and g. Do you think that quantum mechanics demands complex numbers, or complex numbers are simply a convenient way of expressing things?
2006-09-27
14:23:12
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2 answers
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asked by
nathaniel49
2
in
Chemistry