Chemistry in four dimensions

Abstract

Some chemical phenomena, awkward to rationalize, are argued to originate in the four-dimensional nature of matter in curved space - time. The problem is traced back to the separation of space and time variables in the analysis of fourdimensional events. Although mathematically sound, this operation is not physically valid. It destroys the essential non-classical entanglement of space and time, which is recognized in relativistic theory, but not in quantum mechanics. We show that without this approximation, the state functions of quantum theory have the same quaternion structure that describes Lorentz transformation and spin. Hypercomplex formulation of four-dimensional motion eliminates several bothersome concepts, such as wave - particle duality and probability density, by providing the logical basis for non-zero commutators in non-classical systems. It shows why chiral states are undefined in quantum theory and why many solid-state transitions appear to be sterically forbidden. A brief introduction to hypercomplex algebra is given as an Appendix A. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.