No Interest in i

"Well the square root of negative one does not exist. Try figuring it out for a minute. Mathematicians use i for it because it is an imaginary number." I draw the axes to show that i and the world of real numbers on which everything is based are two separate realms, yet once one leaves the axes one enters a world which is a combination of reality and magic.

"This is a real world description of a parallel universe, of the paranormal, of alternate realities. No wonder mathematicians discuss certain processes as intuitive."

Mr. Jones draws an utter blank. I go on: "Think about it. Suppose you have a number that is square root of negative one plus five. It is at positive 5 on the real axis and then at negative one i on the imaginary axis. Actually it is in two places at once since square roots can be either positive or negative, in the same way that quadratic equations always contain one throw-away answer. Hey that is kind of mystic too, when you think about it"

"Have you had lunch yet, Holly?" asks Mr. Jones.

I feel keenly disappointed, but am I going to give up?

1. Go find a math teacher who might understand the true meaning of i
2. Go get my lunch.
3. Go to the library and see if any one has written more about imaginary numbers.

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