Physical Statistics

Abstract

Why is the square root of minus one called imaginary? Because mathematicians used to think that arithmetic was about real-in the sense of concrete as when counting on one's fingers-numbers. Fortunately, mathematicians went on to understand the foundations of the real number system and complex numbers. Why was there so much resistance to non-Euclidean geometry? Because mathematicians used to think that geometry was about real-in the sense of concrete as when we look around us-space.