Imaginary Numbers & Physics

[PerfectDark]

Lets say that outside of our universe is a timeless infinite void of random energy fluctuations. (If you want to argue what is outside our universe just go ahead and try and prove it!)

Can there be an imaginary number greater than infinity?
If so can the possibility of a random point of energy fluctuations be outside the infinite void? This point of energy fluctuations will be within another universe, perhaps one that doesn't already exist; the insertion of a huge amount of energy into a newly formed 4 dimensional universe to accommodate this energy fluctuation would be awfully similar to the big bang, would it not? Perhaps this is what caused the creation of our universe?

Care to comment?
PerfectDark.

[Dr_Paprika]

I don't think there could be an imaginary number greater than infinity. Does this mean there coudn't be an energy fluctuation outside the infinite void? I'd say yes. Prove otherwise.

[douglips]

An 'imaginary number' is not a number that you can only imagine, but has a specific definition - being a product of the square root of -1. Since there is no real number that is the square root of -1, we designate it as i, for 'imaginary'.

Thus, being imaginary is a property of a number, like being even or odd, or prime. You can have an imaginary infinity, but it is no different from a regular infinity except it has been multiplied by i. Thus, you can't have an imaginary number larger than infinity, other than the fact that you can already have one infinity be larger than another. See the countless threads about aleph and countable vs. uncountable infinities. This concept, however, is orthogonal to imaginary-ness, that is, the one (imaginary-ness) has nothing to do with the other (degrees of infinity).

P.S. Try writing [ i ]i[ / i ] three times fast.

[RM Mentock]

Originally posted by PerfectDark
Care to comment?

Well, I know that this is one sure to zoom off to GD or maybe even IMHO, but sure, I'd like to comment.

It's not imaginary numbers that are greater than infinity, it's concrete numbers. Think about it. How many numbers do you know that are solid, material, nonabstract? Take an infinite number of concrete numbers and lay them on your rubber sheet physics. Guess what? Boooiiing!

This is not the Big Bang theory, but you can see how a boing could be mistaken for a bang.